KAKAMEGA, Kenya — Malava Constituency parliamentary candidate Seth Panyako has alleged that there was an attempt on his life just hours before Wednesday’s by-election, escalating tensions in one of the country’s most closely watched mini-polls.
Speaking on Thursday morning after casting his vote at St Joseph Lunyu Primary School, the DAP-K aspirant claimed that his driver was seriously injured during an attack on Wednesday night by what he described as “government-sponsored criminals.”
Panyako said the assailants targeted his hotel room with the intention of killing him and his wife.
“The government machinery, together with criminals, attacked my hotel, and the aim of the attack was to assassinate my wife and me,” he alleged, adding that several individuals allied to the State — including a senior aide to President William Ruto — were behind the incident.
According to Panyako, the attack was politically motivated and tied to pre-election polls, which he said placed him ahead of his main rival, UDA candidate David Ndakwa.
“The government candidate was only doing 24pc yesterday. So the only option that is there for the government candidate to win this election is to assassinate me. They have no way of winning this election,” he claimed.
The aspirant, who broke down in tears moments after voting, argued that the attackers knew his exact room despite it being separate from the main suite, reinforcing his belief that the incident was coordinated.
His driver, allegedly stabbed during the attack, is receiving treatment at Webuye Hospital. Police are yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.
The by-election atmosphere in Malava has been marked by rising tension, with another man beaten by residents on Wednesday night after being accused of attempting to bribe voters. It remains unclear which candidate he was allegedly supporting.
DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa condemned the violence and accused the police of colluding with political actors to disrupt the polls. He called on the IEBC to disqualify Ndakwa over claims of voter intimidation and violence.
“We want to tell the IG of police that police are being used as a tool of violence and are working with goons. We want to tell the IEBC that this UDA candidate should be disqualified for going to the extent of wanting to harm his opponent,” Wamalwa said.
Malava is among the high-stakes constituencies in the November 27 by-elections, alongside Mbeere North, Magarini, Banissa, Ugunja, and Kasipul constituencies, as well as a Senate seat in Baringo County. Security agencies have been deployed across the country amid concerns of violence, bribery, and heightened political rivalry.
