This archive report was first published on 16 July 2021.
On July 16, 2021, the Kiambaa parliamentary by-election and the Muguga Ward MCA contest were underway at Karuri High School, with the contest narrowing down to a two-horse race.
UDA's John Njuguna held a narrow lead over Jubilee Party's Kariri Njama in the Kiambaa MP race, while in the Muguga Ward contest, Jubilee's Githinji Mungera had a narrow lead over UDA's Kamau Thumbi.
According to reports, hundreds of residents made their way to various polling stations as early as 4am, with long queues seen at centres such as Karuri High School by 6.30am.
The Kiambaa constituency has 96,000 registered voters, with voting taking place in 154 polling stations spread across 5 wards.
On Tuesday, rival campaign teams traded accusations of vote rigging, raising tensions around an election viewed as the first direct conflict between President Kenyatta and his rebel deputy, Deputy President William Ruto.
The outcome of the two mini polls is widely seen as a litmus test for both Jubilee and UDA parties.
