Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale have stormed Malava Constituency to campaign for Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) chairman Seth Panyako for the parliamentary seat.
The two are set to hold rallies in different areas, beginning with Mutsuma, St Gerald, and finally Muruma on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
This comes at a time when Boni Khalwale has received backlash after deciding to throw his weight behind DAP-K’s candidate, leaving his UDA colleague David Ndakwa, despite him being elected and serving as UDA Majority Whip in the Senate.
Khalwale has been summoned to appear before the party for disciplinary action over his decision to support a candidate different from that of his party.
His choice to support Seth Panyako over Ndakwa was influenced by Malulu Injendi’s son, Ryan Injendi, losing the UDA ticket in the party primaries, a result Khalwale described as unfair.
He accused Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi of orchestrating Ryan’s defeat, questioning why the ticket could not have been given to Ryan to succeed his father.
Khalwale recalled that when Mudavadi was 28 years old, after his father, Moses Mudavadi, passed away, he was serving both as minister and Sabatia member of parliament.
Western Kenya politicians approached Moi and convinced him that the seat be given to my son. That is how I became an MP.”
Khalwale has vowed to stand with Seth Panyako to ensure his victory in the mini-polls slated for November 27.
DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa has repeatedly stated that the Malava by-election will serve as a litmus test for William Ruto’s 2027 election, saying that a DAP-K win will restore the dignity of Western Kenya.
He expressed confidence in Seth Panyako, stating that “among the competitors, he is leading by a double margin, with UDA’s Ndakwa following at a distance.”
Eugene Wamalwa recently teamed up with Boni Khalwale to present Seth Panyako’s papers to the IEBC, declaring his support for Wamalwa while engaging with other opposition bigwigs.
George Natembeya, who has had a strained relationship with his party leader Eugene Wamalwa, has also hit the ground running to solicit support for Seth Panyako.
Although Natembeya and Wamalwa have been carrying out separate rallies in the constituency, they are united in supporting the same candidate.
