NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala has declared the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election the “funeral” of the ruling UDA party in the Mt. Kenya region, expressing confidence the Rigathi Gachagua-led outfit will secure a landmark victory.Speaking after touring several polling stations on Thursday, Malala urged voters to remain patient as election officials worked to address intermittent delays with the Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS), saying the technical hitches would not affect the outcome of the vote.“There are a little bit of technical issues with the KIEMS kits, but these are normal problems that we encounter in polling stations. However long it takes, I want to encourage our supporters to stay in the queue and vote because this is a historic election,” he said.His remarks came as long queues formed at several polling stations, with some voters reporting that biometric verification was taking up to 30 minutes per voter, significantly slowing the voting process and raising concerns over turnout.Malala said DCP agents were working closely with officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to resolve the technical challenges, adding that he had not encountered any polling station where KIEMS kits had completely failed.“We have visited about eight polling stations and all have started well. IEBC has spare KIEMS kits, and where there are challenges, they can be replaced. We ask voters to remain patient,” he said.The former Kakamega senator used the occasion to launch a blistering political attack on UDA, saying the Ol Kalou contest would mark the end of the ruling party’s political dominance in the Mt. Kenya region.“Five years ago, UDA was born in Mt. Kenya when it won the Kiambaa parliamentary by-election. Today, exactly five years later, we are conducting its final rites. The contract between UDA and the people of the Mountain has come to an end,” Malala declared.He further accused the government of attempting to influence the outcome of the election through the use of state resources and intimidation, claims the government has previously denied.“The government has pumped in so much, bribed people and tried to subvert the will of the people. But sovereignty belongs to the people. Today we are going to see Goliath brought down by a humble David,” he said.Although Malala acknowledged reports of voter intimidation in one village on the eve of the election, he said the situation had been contained and voting was proceeding peacefully.He nevertheless questioned the movement of government vehicles without registration plates around the constituency and renewed calls for all security officers deployed for election duty to wear official uniforms, display service numbers and use clearly marked vehicles.“We have seen vehicles moving around without number plates. We want everybody to be identified. Every police officer should display their badge and force number. We will not allow masqueraders,” he said.Malala also dismissed suggestions that the deployment of more than 1,000 police officers across the constituency could intimidate voters.“Even if they deployed the entire police service, we are winning. The people of Ol Kalou have shown bravery by turning out in large numbers despite the heavy security presence,” he said.The Ol Kalou by-election is being closely watched as the first major electoral contest in the Mt. Kenya region since former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s fallout with President William Ruto, with political analysts viewing the outcome as an early indicator of shifting alliances ahead of the 2027 General Election.Nine candidates are contesting the seat left vacant following the death of former MP David Kiaraho, although the race has effectively narrowed to a contest between UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyaga and DCP’s Sammy Kamau Ngotho.Voting began at 6am across the constituency’s 114 polling stations and is scheduled to close at 5pm, after which counting will begin at the respective polling stations.