The battle for the impending Malava parliamentary by-election has started to take shape after the unveiling of lawyer Edgar Busiega Mwanga as the candidate of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), headed by immediate former Deputy President Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua. 

Busiega’s highly publicised decamping to Gachagua’s outfit on July 17, 2025, has kicked off a political dust storm of voluminous proportions within both the Opposition and the ruling coalition. 

Only a day after, the DCP Deputy Party leader Cleophas Malalah, accompanied by other senior officials of the entity, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, landed in the constituency to take a swipe at the youthful lawyer who he accused of being misled by an inconsequential person who can no longer hold public office, in reference to Gachagua, who was impeached by the Senate last October. 

Mudavadi trooped to Malava on Friday, July 18, 2025, to preside over a Women’s Economic Empowerment fundraiser – one of four he would attend in different countries – and used the opportunity to scold Busiega, who he said was making misguided decisions and told residents to ensure that they elect the right person. 

Mudavadi stated that after the merger between his former party, Amani National Congress (ANC), and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of President William Ruto, he would be rooting for a candidate from within the ranks of the ruling entity. 

MP’s death 

The Malava parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Moses Malulu Injendi on February 17. Malulu was elected on the banner of Mudavadi’s ANC.  

However, a day after Mudavadi’s visit, Malalah toured the constituency to ostensibly counter Mudavadi’s foray, urging the electorate to reject any candidate sponsored by the Establishment. 

Malalah accused Mudavadi of a raft of acts of commission and omission, claiming that the former Deputy Prime Minister and former Vice-President was not the right person to give the people of Western Kenya a political direction. 

Malava and Siakago constituencies are expected to be the focal points of the impending six National Assembly and one Senate by-elections in the country as both President William Ruto and his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua size up each other in what would seem to be a dress rehearsal in the countdown to the 2027 General Election. 

Gachagua, who is the DCP Party Leader, is expected to tour Malava to campaign for Busiega upon his return from the United States, where he is on tour. 

Busiega is among the top favourites in the forthcoming by-election, with the others being the vocal secretary-general of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Seth Panyako of the United Democratic Party (UDP), management consultant and former Kenya School of Government senior lecturer Caleb Sunguti of Roots Party and Ryan Injendi, the son of the fallen MP who is an employee of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) employee still battling with three others for the UDA ticket. 

UPD is headed by former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, while lawyer George Oluchiri Wajackoya is the boss of Roots Party.   

The Malava by-election has attracted more than 30 aspirants.  

However, the race is whittling down to a battle between five contestants involving  Busiega, Panyako,  Sunguti, Ryan, retired educationist Enock Andanje and lawyers Leonard Shimaka and Lewis Mulupi Shitanda, with the last quartet still muscling it out for the UDA ticket. 

Senior Assistant Inspector General (SAIG) of police, Nelson Shilunji Taliti, who was initially viewed as one of the front-runners, has since taken a low profile.  

To also have fizzled out are former Malava Boys’ High School Principal Daniel Mwachi, Kivaywa High School Principal Simon Kangwana, both of whom had previously been viewed as strong contenders. 

On Monday, July 14, 2025, Ryan was endorsed by a section of elders from his populous Abasonje clan of the Kabras sub-tribe, with another faction having already endorsed Busiega. 

Initially, Ryan was seen as President William Ruto’s favourite candidate on a UDA ticket in his father’s succession matrix. 

But Ruto’s personal assistant, Farouk Kibet, who has been making forays in the constituency since Malulu’s death to convince the electorate to lean towards Ryan, has since changed his focus to Andanje, a close friend of his who retired recently as the Principal of Bungoma High School, reportedly at the behest of the presidential aide. 

Mudavadi’s visit to Malava on Friday was an escalation of the Kenya Kwanza campaign team, in addition to Farouk and Higher Education Principal Secretary  Beatrice Inyangala.