Democracy for Citizens Party politician Edgar Busiega is in mourning after the loss of his father just days after withdrawing from the Malava Constituency by-election.
Busiega revealed his plight on Sunday, November 16, in a statement on his social media, confirming that his father passed away at around 9am.
"It is with immense pain that I share this heartbreaking news: We lost Dad this morning at 9:30am," his statement read.
While he did not reveal particulars of the cause of his father's passing, Busiega hailed him as a pillar who helped shape him as he described the loss as "overwhelming".
He added, "I haven’t just lost a father; I’ve lost a friend, a confidant, and the one person whose advice always anchored me. The weight of this loss is overwhelming, and my heart is shattered beyond words."
At the time of publication of this article, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's party has yet to issue a formal statement on the issue.
In a cruel twist of fate, Busiega's loss came just days after it was revealed that he would not be taking part in the Malava by-election, as the United Opposition decided to collectively back DAP-K contender Seth Panyako.
On Thursday, October 30, DAP-K Party confirmed the new developments, adding that Busiega willingly opted to step down in favour of their contender, Seth Panyako.
Panyako also confirmed he would be the sole representative of the opposition in a statement on Thursday, thanking DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua for support.
"Firstly, I want to thank the DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua, and his deputy Cleophas Malala, for helping me and allowing my brother to support me in this journey," Panyako said.
Effectively, Busiega revealed he would be in charge of the DCP's legal affairs as one of the main roles in opposition, at least until after the by-elections.
DCP's deputy party leader Cleophas Malala also incentivised his decision to step down by promising him a direct DCP ticket for the 2027 parliamentary race.
There were signs that Panyako would be the main man for the opposition, particularly because he faced no resistance during the nomination process and was handed a direct ticket.
The Malava parliamentary seat was declared vacant following the passing of Moses Malulu Injendi, who died on February 17 after weeks of hospitalisation.
Several candidates are set to battle it out for the seat, including UDA candidate David Ndakwa, who is arguably Panyako's biggest competition.
