In a surprise turn of events, Kakamega County Deputy Governor and DAP-K Deputy Party Leader Ayub Savula has endorsed United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate, David Ndakwa, ahead of the Malava Constituency by-election.
In a statement on Monday, November 10, UDA confirmed the endorsement, calling it a major political development in the region.
“In a major political shift, Kakamega County Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, who also serves as the Deputy Party Leader of DAP-K, has officially endorsed David Ndakwa for the Malava Constituency seat,” the statement read.
The endorsement is expected to reshape the political dynamics of Kakamega County, where alliances and party loyalties have long been fluid.
According to UDA, Savula’s support for a candidate outside his own party reflects a wave of unity and transformation taking place in the area.
“This endorsement marks a significant realignment in Kakamega politics, as leaders rally behind Ndakwa’s unifying and development-focused agenda. The political tide in Malava is changing, the movement is unstoppable,” the statement added.
Ndakwa is a relatively low-profile politician with his public activities having been largely localised within Kakamega County, where he has quietly built his political base.
He completed his primary education at Kalenda Primary School in 1987 and later joined Samitsi Secondary School, where he sat for his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 1991.
Ndakwa holds a Diploma in Information Studies from the University of Nairobi and a Degree in Information Science from Moi University.
Professionally, he served as Managing Director of Pavement Publishers between 2017 and 2020 before venturing into full-time politics.
Ndakwa’s political journey gained momentum when he became the Leader of the Minority in the Second Kakamega County Assembly (2017–2022), a role that marked his emergence as a local political figure and led to his re-election in 2022.
“In David Ndakwa, we see a steadfast leader capable of delivering and completing the development projects that Mheshimiwa Injendi so passionately began.
“We, therefore, rally behind our UDA candidate, David Ndakwa, to deepen the transformation agenda and propel Malava Sub-County to greater heights of progress and prosperity,” President William Ruto said about Ndakwa during a trip to Kakamega County.
Notably, this comes weeks after the Democratic Congress Party (DCP) candidate in the upcoming Malava Constituency by-election withdrew from the race.
In a statement on Thursday, October 30, DAP-K Party confirmed that Edgar Busiega Mwanga had opted to step down in favor of their contender, Seth Panyako.
“Wakili Edgar Busiega Mwanga, who was vying for the Malava Constituency parliamentary seat on DCP, has officially stepped down and backed DAP-K candidate Seth Panyako. As the United Opposition, we now have one candidate in the upcoming by-election,” the statement read.
