Candidature for the impending Malava parliamentary by-election to replace the late Moses Malulu Injendi continues to balloon by the day with the latest attraction being a woman entrant
Former nominated senator Naomi Shiyonga, popularly known as Mama Signal, is the latest aspirant to declare her intention to vie for the vacant seat.
Shiyonga, who served in the Upper House on an ODM ticket between 2017 and 2022 made her announcement via her social media platform on which she revealed that she would seek nomination on the banner of President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.
She joins an already crowded field of over 20 aspirants keen to succeed the departed three-term lawmaker.
First woman contender
If she secures a ticket to run for the seat, Shiyonga will be the first-ever woman politician in the constituency to contest for the seat.
Since independence, all the six previous MPs for the area have been men.
Thus: Jonathan Masinde Welangai (1963-69), Burudi Nabwera (1969-79), Joshua Mulanda Angatia (1979-1988, 1992-97), Nathan Sanya Anaswa (1988-1992), Peter Soita Shitanda (1997-2013) and Malulu (2012-2025).
Before obtaining the ticket to vie for the seat, Shiyonga will first have to battle it with two others, so far, within the UDA fold.
Malulu’s son, Ryan Injendi and the Secretary -General of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Seth Panyako are also expected to seek the party’s nomination ticket
Whereas Panyako has already made his intention public, Ryan who is an employee of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) and is understood to be President William Ruto’s preferred candidate has yet to openly declared his bid.
Shown interest
Shiyonga, Ryan and Panyako are among those who have shown interest in the position even before the National Assembly pronounces the seat vacant and the voting date set by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
They are former Kenya School of Government (KSG) lecturer and a project planning and management consultant Caleb Sunguti, Senior Assistant Inspector-General of Police Nelson Shilunji Taliti, lawyer Edgar Busiega Mwanga, former Malava Boys’ High School Principal Daniel Mwachi, activist Caleb Burudi, Dr Enock Andanje, trade unionist and security expert Dr Enock Makanga, Benjamin Nalwa, Jonah Barasai, lawyer Lewis Shitanda, retired educationist Mwalimu Kangwana, Toli Mukoyani, former Nominated Kakamega MCA Lazarus Lucheveleli, Lilian Sospeter, Samuel Tsimbwela, Michael Murambi Angatia, Wanangwe Kulecho, Simon Waiti, former journalist George Munji and one Samuel Liguru.
While on face value Ryan and Busiega may appear to be the favourites by dint of their young age and therefore well positioned to gel with the populous Gen-Z generation, the Malava by-election will be a fierce battle of wits and nerves.
Young generation
The upcoming by-election will feature a contest between the young generation of politicians and old hand professionals.
Ryan and Busiega are the face of the youths while Sunguti, Taliti, Panyako, Makanga, Shiyonga, Mwachi and Andanje present the challenge from experienced professionals.
So far, Sunguti is the only aspirant who has acquired a party mandate to run for the seat after being cleared the Roots Party headed by lawyer Prof George Wajackoya.
Burudi and Makanga have indicated their desire to contest on the banner of DAP-K.
At of now, the Democratic Party of Kenya (DAP-K) headed by former Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa appears to be the most attractive outfit on the ground with majority of the aspirants jostling to grab it’s nod to contest for the seat.
The absence of an ANC candidate will present a very difficult test to the electorate who are always at ease with its former leader and now Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. In 2013, the constituency gave Mudavadi the highest number of votes in the whole country
In 2022, Kenya Kwanza registered the highest number of votes here in the entire Kakamega county, courtesy of Mudavadi.
It will be an intricate affair for President Ruto and his candidate.
Ruto’s UDA party is the least popular and most loathed on the ground. It will take extra strategies and efforts to effectively market whoever the party settles on.
That will depend on the role Mudavadi plays given that the ground here has respect for him but now his party does not have a candidate. From the entire Kenya Kwanza coalition, Ford Kenya appears to have an edge over the rest on the ground, considering that it’s candidate George Manyasa narrowly lost to Malulu both in 2017 and 2022.
Marketing UDA here at the moment may prove to be too Herculean a taskt, a massive headache that Ruto and his team have to contend with. The joining of former MCA Shiyonga makes the contest even more interesting and dramatic.
