NAIROBI, Kenya July 9 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has warned that it could postpone or even cancel the upcoming Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election if the security situation is found to be unsafe.Speaking as political campaigns intensify ahead of the July 16 vote, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the commission would not risk the safety of voters, election officials and candidates if the environment becomes hostile.“In the event that, working with security officials and other stakeholders, we find that the environment is not conducive enough for us to conduct the by-election, we will be left with no choice other than to take the most unfortunate and drastic step of postponing the election,” Ethekon said.He added that if conditions failed to improve, the commission could be forced to cancel the election altogether.“If that is not enough, we will cancel it all together and that will be a very sad day for the citizens of Ol Kalou because they will lose an opportunity to be represented in Parliament,” he said.Ethekon said the commission is working closely with security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure a peaceful election.He stressed that the decision to postpone the poll would only be taken if it became impossible to guarantee the safety of everyone involved in the electoral process.The IEBC boss also pointed to the financial cost of conducting elections, saying postponement would come at a significant expense.“Elections are very expensive and in Ol Kalou alone the commission is spending almost Sh30 million,” he said.The Ol Kalou by-election has become one of the country’s most closely watched political contests, with both the government and the opposition stepping up campaigns in recent days.The Kenya Kwanza administration has intensified development tours and engagements in the constituency as it seeks to retain political support.At the same time, opposition leaders have increased their campaigns in the area, hoping to turn the by-election into a major political statement ahead of the 2027 General Election.The constituency is widely regarded as politically significant, with opposition leaders keen to demonstrate their influence in the Mt Kenya region, while the government seeks to avoid a politically damaging defeat.