Tension briefly flared in Ol Kalou Constituency on Thursday after residents intercepted several police officers and demanded that they open their bags over allegations that they were transporting election materials during the parliamentary by-election.

The incident, captured in widely shared videos, attracted a large crowd and heightened concerns over the integrity of the electoral process.

In the videos captured, residents were seen confronting officers, insisting on inspecting their bags to verify that no election materials were being moved unlawfully.

Some members of the public accused the officers of attempting to interfere with the election, with one resident heard asking in Kiswahili, “Wewe ni polisi? Unabribe watu kwa nini?” before the officers complied and opened their bags. The footage did not provide evidence that election materials were found in the officers’ possession.

The confrontation took place amid heightened political tension surrounding the by-election, which has attracted significant security deployment.

Inspector General Douglas Kanja had ordered the deployment of more than 1,000 police officers across the constituency to safeguard polling stations and ensure a peaceful, free and credible election.

Security agencies also warned that vehicles without number plates would be impounded and unauthorised persons kept at least 400 metres from polling stations to prevent disruptions.

The Ol Kalou by-election has been closely watched following days of allegations of voter bribery, intimidation and political violence raised by rival camps and election observers.

Earlier this week, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) expressed concern over escalating electoral malpractices and urged all stakeholders to respect the law and maintain peace throughout the exercise.

As voting continued, there was no official confirmation from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) or the National Police Service that any election materials had been found in the officers’ bags.

Authorities have continued to urge residents, political actors and security officers to uphold transparency and allow the electoral process to proceed peacefully.