Opposition Candidate Raises Alarm After Alleged Night Assassination Plot
Malava Constituency parliamentary aspirant Seth Panyako has raised serious concerns after claiming that there was a coordinated attempt to end his life just hours before voters headed to the polls for the November 27 by-election.
Speaking early Thursday morning, shortly after casting his ballot, the DAP-K candidate said his driver was fighting for his life after a violent attack carried out on Wednesday night by people he believes were acting with support from powerful government officials.
According to him, the assailants also targeted his family, making the situation even more frightening.
Panyako alleged that several individuals said to be close to the state were involved in the attack. He even mentioned that one of the attackers was a senior aide in the Office of the President.
“Government machinery, working together with criminals, stormed my hotel. Their mission was clear — to assassinate my wife and me,” Panyako claimed during the tense briefing.
He suggested that the attack was politically motivated, explaining that pre-election polls placed him as the favourite to win the Malava seat over UDA candidate David Ndakwa. According to Panyako, polls allegedly showed Ndakwa trailing at around 24 percent, and this, he claimed, may have influenced the violent intimidation.
“The government candidate was doing only 24 percent yesterday. The only way they can win is by eliminating me. They know they cannot defeat me through the ballot,” he said, insisting the attack was deliberate and targeted.
One detail that stood out for him was that he and his wife were in a separate room away from the main hotel suite, yet the attackers went straight to their exact room as though they already knew where he was sleeping. This, he said, showed that the operation was well-planned.
After casting his vote at St. Joseph Lunyu Primary School, Panyako became emotional, and cameras captured him breaking down in tears. Reports now show that his driver, who was allegedly stabbed during the night attack, is receiving treatment at Webuye Hospital.
Meanwhile, Wednesday night was marked by more chaos. Another man was left badly injured after locals confronted him, claiming he had been moving around bribing voters. It is still unknown which candidate he was allegedly campaigning for through bribery.
DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa later reacted strongly to the unfolding incidents, urging authorities to step in and calling for the immediate disqualification of UDA’s Ndakwa over claims of violence and intimidation.
“We want to tell the Inspector General that police are being misused and are working with goons. And we want to tell the IEBC that this UDA candidate should be disqualified for going as far as attempting to harm his opponent,” Wamalwa said.
Malava has been a highly contested battleground between the ruling UDA party and the opposition, with rising tension also reported in other competitive regions such as Mbeere North and Magarini in Kilifi County.
In total, voters are deciding the fate of six National Assembly seats — Magarini (Kilifi), Banissa (Mandera), Mbeere North (Embu), Ugunja (Siaya), Kasipul (Homa Bay), and Malava (Kakamega) — along with one Senate position in Baringo County.
These by-elections have drawn national attention due to the heated rivalry between political camps and the rising cases of election-related violence.
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