Stakes are high as voters in Emurua Dikirr Constituency, Narok County, went to the polls on May 14, 2026, for a parliamentary by-election that pitted President William Ruto’s UDA against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP.
UDA fronted David Kipsang Keter while DCP nominated Vincent Rotich to fill the seat left vacant after MP Johana Ng’eno died in a helicopter crash on February 28, 2026, in Mosop Constituency, Nandi County. Ng’eno died in a chopper crash on February 28, 2026, in Mosop Constituency, Nandi County, alongside pilot George Were, photojournalist Nick Kosgei, teacher Carlos Kibet Keter, Kenya Forest Service ranger Amos Kipngetich Rotich, and Narok County protocol officer Wycliff Kiprotich Rono.
The contest carried weight for both leaders ahead of the 2027 general election, as they sought to prove their hold on the vote-rich Rift Valley.
“Emurua Dikirr by-election will be a litmus test for President Ruto’s UDA at a time his grip in Rift Valley has come under scrutiny. The voters in the area are known to revolt against the ruling elite, as demonstrated in past elections,” said advocate Kemboi Telwa.
He noted that “it was clear from the onset that the President, his Deputy and Cabinet Secretaries were not welcome to campaign in the area as they would all muddy the waters for the UDA candidate.”
Neither Ruto nor Gachagua campaigned in the constituency. Gachagua was advised against visiting due to security concerns and fears that it could hurt the DCP candidate. Ruto, who has a home in neighboring Kilgoris, did not attend any event in Emurua Dikirr after Ng’eno’s burial on March 6, marking a departure from UDA’s usual campaign strategy.
Campaigns focused on local grievances. Poor roads, inadequate hospitals, lack of clean piped water, and weak infrastructure dominated the debate, with residents accusing the government of neglecting the area after elections. The IEBC cleared five candidates for the race: David Kipsang Keter for UDA, Vincent Rotich for DCP, Desma Cherono for PNU, Gideon Koech for NVP, and Kenneth Kiprono for RLP. Keter and Rotich were seen as the main contenders. In the UDA primaries on March 27, Keter secured 13,749 votes against Ng’eno’s 13,394, from a turnout of 27,503 voters. DCP entered the race with momentum after its candidate upset UDA in the recent Narok Town Ward by-election.
