Safina Party Deputy Leader Willis Otieno has called for the disqualification of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate in the upcoming Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, citing reports of alleged voter bribery.
In a statement posted on his X account on Friday, July 10, 2026, Otieno argued that electoral offences such as vote-buying should not be tolerated in a democratic society and must be dealt with firmly under Kenya's electoral laws.
According to the lawyer, credible elections depend on impartial enforcement of the law, regardless of a candidate's political affiliation.
"Open voter bribery in Ol Kalou would, in any election where electoral laws are enforced impartially, warrant the disqualification of the UDA candidate. Democracy cannot be credible where votes are treated as commodities and electoral offences go unpunished," Otieno said.
Calls for equal enforcement of electoral laws
Otieno urged electoral and law enforcement agencies to apply the law equally to all candidates, insisting that political affiliation should not shield anyone accused of violating election rules.
He argued that meaningful sanctions against electoral offences are necessary to protect the integrity of the electoral process and restore public confidence in democratic institutions.
According to Otieno, failure to take action against alleged vote-buying would undermine the credibility of elections and encourage the recurrence of similar offences in future contests.
His remarks come amid heightened political activity ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, with allegations and counter-allegations emerging over campaign conduct in the constituency.
