Mudavadi, Wetang’ula bask in Malava election victory glory

The victory of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate in the November 27 Malava by-election was a combination of a raft of factors, key among them being the unflinching support accorded by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula.

The duo is the senior most, longest serving and most influential political leaders from the Mulembe Nation within the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Together with Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya and Governors Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega), Ken Lusaka (Bungoma) and Dr. Paul Otuoma (Busia), they form the fulcrum of President William Ruto’s support from the former Western Province in the countdown to the 2027 General Election.

While Barasa, Lusaka, Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Inyangala and Ruto’s personal assistant Farouk Kibet and a host of MPs from the three counties that formed the now defunct province were frequent campaigners for Ndakwa in the constituency, it was Mudavadi and Wetang’ula who placed the icing on the cake that translated into his victory.

The stars started aligning in favour of the outgoing Kabras West Member of County Assembly (MCA) when he secured wholesome support from Mudavadi and Wetang’ula, the two main political actors in the region soon after he won the USA nominations on September 20.

The Malava parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of immediate former Member of Parliament Moses Malulu Injendi on February 17 after a short illness.

His chances were boosted further following the decision – through the efforts of Mudavadi, Wetang’ula and Farouk -by the three unsuccessful aspirants in the UDA nominations to collectively rally behind him.

Four other rivals from the Opposition ranks: Caleb Sunguti of Roots Party, Enock Makanga of Jubilee Party, Caleb Burudi of DAP-K and Edwin Shivakale of EPP also defected to UDA and threw their weight behind Nandwa.

Reconciliatory efforts separately staged by Mudavadi, Wetang’ula and Farouk led UDA nomination losers Simon Kangwana, Leonard Shimaka and Malulu’s son Ryan Injendi, to unanimously agreeing to support Ndakwa.

Their resolve would soon be followed by high profile visits from Mudavadi and Wetang’ula.

One week to the voting day, Mudavadi returned to the constituency where he staged a series of rallies accompanied by Farouk and senior UDA leadership to conduct mammoth campaign meetings at the grassroots to boost Ndakwa’s candidature.

If anything, the Malava by-election was a very serious and delicate, matter for Mudavadi as it touched on his popularity on the ground where he has held sway for almost two decades.

Much so because, like the late Malulu, Ndakwa was elected on the ticket of the Amani National Congress (ANC), an outfit founded by Mudavadi and of which he was the Party Leader until September 2022 when he quit to join Ruto’s Cabinet.

ANC has since merged with UDA. However, Malava constituency is widely considered to be a Mudavadi bastion which he had to reclaim.

What is more, the campaigners for Ndakwa’s main challenger, Seth Panyako, the secretary-general of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) reduced their public rallies to a mere Mudavadi and Wetang’ula affair, choosing to hurl brickbats at the duo on a daily basis at every corner while lacing them with ethnic epithets directed at Farouk and Ruto and in the process forgetting to raise pertinent issues related to the bid of their candidate.

His top-notch campaigners were Mumias East MP Peter Salasya , Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, his predecessor Cleophas Malalah, former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo and Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.

Panyako’s team did very little to campaign for him, instead directing all their energies and time at Mudavadi, Wetang’ula, Ruto and Farouk, a strategy that backfired miserably among the Malava electorate.

Ndakwa is a close ally of Mudavadi’s. The former Deputy Prime Minister and one time Vice-President has a considerable following and respect in the constituency.

It did not surprise that he led the final campaign push that delivered the UDA candidate as the next Malava Member of Parliament to replace the departed Malulu.