By Frank Abura
A post on X, published on July 19, 2026 by @Kibet_bull, an X account that shares political content and commentary, claims that research firm Infotrak Research and Consulting published an opinion poll showing United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah leading the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election with 54.6 percent followed by Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho with 41 percent. Wilson Kigwa was listed at 2 percent, while other candidates and undecided voters were listed at 1.4 percent and 1 percent respectively.
The post had garnered more than 104,000 views, 3,800 likes, 1,000 reposts and 189 comments at the time of review.
Background
Infotrak Research and Consulting is a Kenyan research and consulting firm that conducts public opinion research and publishes surveys on political, social, and economic issues. The firm is known for its Voice of the People polls, which measure public opinion on issues including politics and the performance of political leaders.
Ol Kalou Constituency, located in Nyandarua County, held a parliamentary by-election on July 16, 2026 following the death of Ol Kalou Member of Parliament David Njuguna Kiaraho, who died on March 29, 2026 while receiving treatment at The Nairobi Hospital. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) cleared nine candidates to contest the seat, including Samuel Muchina Nyagah of UDA and Sammy Kamau Ngotho of DCP.
The post was shared three days after the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election. According to the official results announced by the IEBC, DCP candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho won with 35,440 votes, accounting for more than 86 percent of the votes cast, while UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah received 5,450 votes, or about 13 percent
Verification
Piga Firimbi searched Infotrak’s official website and publicly available social media platforms such as its verified X page for the purported poll. The search did not find the graphic published as an official Infotrak poll.
Infotrak addressed the claim on its official X account, @InfotrakN. In a post, the research firm shared the graphic and labelled it “FAKE.” The firm said that the graphic was not authentic and that it featured an incorrect version of Infotrak’s logo.
In a separate post, Infotrak said that its CEO Angela Ambitho had addressed the purported poll during an interview on K24 TV. The firm explained that the poll being shared publicly was not its poll and urged the public to rely on polls published through its official channels.
During the K24 TV interview, Infotrak’s CEO also explained that the firm had conducted a similar survey, but that it was not released publicly. She further explained that the figures in the private poll reflected the eventual election results.
Verdict
The purported Infotrak poll showing Samuel Muchina Nyagah leading the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election is FAKE.
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