Eugene Wamalwa’s vehicle burnt in Malava by-election chaos
By Valerian Khakayi, November 27, 2025A vehicle belonging to the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa has been set ablaze by unknown goons in Manyonje, Butali ward, as tension flared in the Malava by-election.
A video seen online by K24 Digital on Thursday, November 27, 2025, shows the burnt vehicle abandoned in the middle of the road.
Malava by-election’s drama
The Malava by-election has been marked by drama involving the DAP-K party’s candidate, Seth Panyako, who broke down in tears before later being arrested.
DAP-K claimed that its candidate has been arrested and is being held at Malava Police Station as voters in the constituency cast their votes.
In a statement on its X account on Thursday, the party said that Panyako had been targeted by coordinated violence.
The party described a tense night during which unidentified assailants, operating under police supervision, harassed Panyako and his campaign team, injured party agents, and destroyed property.
They warned that attempts to intimidate their candidate would not be tolerated.
“Our Candidate, Seth Panyako, has been arrested and is currently being held at Malava Police Station. This, even after goons under police supervision terrorised him the whole night, injured our agents, destroyed property, and now they want to intimidate him. We will not allow!” the statement reads.
Before his arrest, Panyako, who was casting his vote at St Joseph’s Lunyu Primary School, became visibly emotional as he recounted a harrowing experience involving his driver the previous night. The distress was so overwhelming that he could not hold back his tears.
According to Panyako, he had received information suggesting that the police were planning to raid their hotel, although no such action ultimately occurred.
Despite reporting the matter multiple times to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Panyako said no action had been taken to address the situation, contributing to his anxiety and emotional response during voting.
“I received information that police were planning to raid our hotel, though they never showed up. At around 8:30, I was notified that Stanley Luvondo had arrived and wanted to see me. He had covered his number plates with black seal tape, prompting my team to question him. His group has been moving around issuing bribes, and despite repeatedly reporting the matter to the IEBC, no action has been taken,” Panyako stated earlier.