A man shooting from the window of an SUV in Ol Kalou, July 16, 2026/SCREENGRAB
Fear gripped Ol Kalou town on Thursday after armed, hooded men driving in several sport utility vehicles (SUVs) moved through the streets, fired shots into the air and patrolled areas near polling stations as voting in the parliamentary by-election descended into chaos. 
The unrest came after voting had largely proceeded peacefully throughout the morning before the situation changed in the afternoon. 
Videos seen by the Star show hooded men armed with guns and rungus moving around the town as residents scattered for safety.
In one clip, a hooded man carrying a long rungu is seen dispersing people before boarding a moving SUV alongside another masked individual. 
Another video shows a man standing on top of an SUV firing towards a crowd, while another person appears to fire from the rear window of the same vehicle as it moved through the area.

The scenes sparked panic among residents, some of whom hid while recording the unfolding events. Voices captured in the videos urged those around them to remain silent and avoid drawing attention.

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"Keep quiet, don't move, they will beat us with stones," a woman is heard saying in Kikuyu.

Another voice says, "Nyamaza, usitoke na unayamaze, usiende mahali," as another woman urges those around her to leave the area.

In another scene, several men are seen running while carrying firearms as residents flee in different directions.

Terror in Ol Kalou as Hooded Men in SUVs Fire Shots, July 16, 2026/SCREENGRABA journalist was also captured rushing to safety with his equipment, narrowly avoiding one of the speeding Prado vehicles.

The violence followed earlier disturbances near St Joseph's Catholic Comprehensive School polling centre after a group of residents briefly barricaded part of the road leading to the station.

According to Star photographer and journalist Enos Teche, masked men arrived in a Prado, fired shots into the air and released tear gas canisters.

Teche said the men then confronted him as he covered the incident. He said they surrounded him, questioned him and forcefully grabbed his camera before assaulting him.

Hooded men running in Ol Kalou, with guns, July 16, 2026/SCREENGRAB

He said they struck him several times on the chest, twisted his hand until it was nearly dislocated and fired a tear gas canister at his leg, leaving him injured.

The incident marks a sharp turn in what had been a largely peaceful by-election and adds to growing concerns over the safety of journalists covering public events, following repeated reports of harassment, assault and interference while carrying out their duties.

A man firing from an SUV in Ol Kalou, July 16, 2026/SCREENGRAB
A masked man with a rungu in Ol Kalou, July 16, 2026/SCREENGRAB
A man shooting from the roof of an SUV in Ol Kalou, July 16, 2026/SCREENGRAB
Men in hoodies, guns running in Ol Kalou, July 16, 2026/SCREENGRAB
Men in hoodies, guns running in Ol Kalou, July 16, 2026/SCREENGRAB