CMD calls for probe into attack on journalists during Ol Kalou by-election
The Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD-Kenya) is demanding a police investigation into violence and the harassment of journalists during the Ol Kalou by-election. The organization warns that failing to address these attacks threatens electoral transparency and public trust in democratic institutions.
Why it matters
Ensuring the safety of the press is critical for maintaining the integrity and credibility of democratic electoral processes.
Ol Kalou residents flee after chaos broke out as voters cast their ballots to elect new MP on Thursday, July 16, 2026. /EZEKIEL AMING'A
Pressure is increasingly piling on the police to launch thorough investigations into violence reported during the Ol Kalou by-election, with the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD-Kenya) becoming the latest organisation to demand accountability over the chaos that left several journalists injured.
The calls come hours after similar demands from the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), Media Council of Kenya and Kenya Union of Journalists, which condemned the attack on journalists and called for action against those responsible.
CMD-Kenya executive director Frankline Mukwanja said the organisation was deeply concerned by incidents of violence, intimidation and alleged heavy-handed actions witnessed during the electoral process.
“Elections must be a peaceful exercise through which citizens freely express their democratic will, not an arena for fear, coercion, or confrontation,” Mukwanja said.
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