DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa has announced that Seth Panyako, who is contesting in the Malava by-election, is leading with a double-digit margin over UDA’s candidate in the race to replace the late Malulu Injendi.

Speaking on Thursday, September 18, 2025, during the issuance of a direct ticket to the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) chairperson, Wamalwa said Panyako remains the most popular candidate, followed closely by UDA’s flagbearer in the upcoming by-election.

According to Eugene Wamalwa, this development follows a survey commissioned by DAP-K, which established that Panyako is leading the pack of 15 aspirants seeking to succeed Injendi.

“Today we are very pleased to receive a report from the polling firm we contracted in our last management meeting. The report clearly shows that out of 15 aspirants for the Malava parliamentary seat, there is one aspirant who stands head and shoulders above all, and that is Seth Panyako,” Wamalwa stated.

Panyako’s popularity

According to Wamalwa, despite UDA fielding six aspirants, their leading candidate still trails Panyako by a double-digit margin. The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate, who defied an agreement within the united opposition to withdraw from the race, ranked seventh overall with only 7 per cent support.

 “The report has shown us that Panyako is not only leading in the Malava by-election but is ahead in all wards of the Malava constituency. Across the constituency, our candidate is leading with a double-digit margin over UDA’s five leading aspirants. After them, the DCP candidate follows at position seven,” Wamalwa explained.

He further stated that the methodology to determine the popularity of a specific candidate was based on a scientific approach used by contracted opinion poll firms.

 “We have used a scientific polling mechanism to identify the strongest candidate, particularly in the most hotly contested by-elections, such as Mbeere North, Malava, and Banissa,” he noted.

Handing over the nomination certificate

The announcement came shortly after Eugene Wamalwa officially handed over the DAP-K nomination certificate to Seth Panyako, confirming him as the party’s candidate for the Malava seat.

 “Seth Panyako has been handed the DAP-K direct nomination certificate to vie for the Malava Constituency seat in the upcoming by-election. Tukutane ground,” the party stated after the ceremony.