MALAVA, Kenya — Two United Democratic Alliance (UDA) aspirants who lost in the party’s primaries have been appointed to diplomatic positions in Uganda and South Africa, boosting the ruling party’s campaign machinery just days before Malava voters head to the polls.
The appointments were announced on Monday by Prime Cabinet Secretary Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, who named Simon Kangwana the Education Attaché at Kenya’s Mission in Uganda and Rhyan Injendi Malulu the Trade Attaché at the Kenyan Embassy in South Africa.
Both men had stepped down for David Ndakwa, the UDA candidate in Thursday’s by-election, after President William Ruto assured them of government roles.
Their elevation follows the earlier appointment of Leonard Shimaka—another former aspirant—to the Kenya Revenue Authority Board as Commissioner for a three-year term. The by-election was triggered by the death of Malava MP Malulu Injendi, who was serving his second term on a UDA ticket.
At a charged rally at Malava Primary School, Mudavadi invited Kangwana and Malulu to the podium to read their appointment letters from his phone, drawing cheers, applause, and the party’s signature two-finger salute from hundreds of supporters.
“The president has kept his word on the UDA aspirants and the development projects currently ongoing in Malava. I ask you to be honourable like you have always been and vote for the UDA candidate,” Mudavadi said during the final day of campaigns.
He argued that retaining the seat under the ruling party would secure Malava’s access to national government programmes, echoing a longstanding political theme in Western Kenya politics linking representation to development.
“An MP from the ruling party easily accesses government services because of proximity to the President and the government functionaries. The late MP Malulu Injendi left you in government; ensure that you stay inside,” he said.
Mudavadi also drew a sharp contrast between Ndakwa and his main rival from the opposition wing, saying the UDA candidate had “sold his manifesto peacefully and with decorum,” while characterising the opposition candidate as “abusive and chaotic.”
The rally came on the heels of a significant development in the tightly watched contest. On Sunday, Joab Burudi Manyasi, the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) candidate, formally withdrew from the race and endorsed Ndakwa. The move, received personally by Mudavadi in Kakamega, has injected fresh momentum into the UDA camp.
“This decision is not a sign of weakness from our brother Manyasi, but a sign of strength that demonstrates unity of purpose from a leader who is pragmatic and who has always put the interests of the people of Malava first,” Mudavadi said.
Analysts say Manyasi’s withdrawal could shift a critical bloc of swing voters, tightening the contest and reinforcing UDA’s push to consolidate Western Kenya support ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.
Mudavadi told supporters that Manyasi’s endorsement had placed UDA “on the home stretch,” adding: “Victory is indeed coming. The people of Malava Constituency have resolved not to gamble with their votes and know where to place their bet on Thursday, November 27.”
The diplomatic appointments, political endorsements, and high-octane campaign activity point to a coordinated late effort by the ruling party to retain the Malava seat.
As the constituency heads into the by-election, the race is shaping up as a broader test of UDA’s organisational muscle and its ability to hold ground in a region where shifting alliances often determine electoral outcomes.
Opposition figures quickly seized on the matter, accusing the government of turning embassies into “employment bureaus for political failures.” They warned that such appointments erode Kenya’s global reputation and weaken service delivery in key foreign missions.
