Malava Constituency Parliamentary hopeful Seth Panyako has come out to claim there was an attempt on his life hours before the November 27 by-election.
The DAP-K candidate spoke on the morning of Thursday, November 27, shortly after casting his vote, as he claimed his driver was nursing grave injuries after an attack by people whom he terms to be government-sponsored on Wednesday night.
According to Panyako, several state-allied individuals, including a high-ranking aide to the president, were responsible for the attack, which also allegedly targeted his family.
"The government machinery, together with criminals, attacked my hotel, and the aim of the attack was to assassinate my wife and me," Panyako claimed.
The DAP-K candidate further claimed that part of the reason he was specifically targeted was that pre-election polls suggested he was supposedly the overwhelming favourite to clinch the Malava seat at the expense of UDA's David Ndakwa.
"The government candidate was only doing 24 per cent yesterday. So the only option that is there for the government candidate to win this election is to assassinate me. They have no way of winning this election," he went on.
Part of the reason Panyako firmly believes he was targeted is that the hotel room he and his wife were staying in was separate from the main suite, yet the assailants went directly to his room.
Panyako cast his vote at St Joseph Lunyu Primary, and shortly afterwards, cameras caught the aspirant breaking down in tears. It has since been established that his driver, who was allegedly stabbed the night before, is nursing injuries at the Webuye Hospital.
Besides the alleged stabbing incident, an individual was also left bloodied on Wednesday evening after he was attacked by irate residents who alleged he was in the area to bribe voters. It remains unclear which candidate the individual was favouring in the bribery spree.
DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa has since weighed in on the fracas surrounding the Malava polls, as he called for the disqualification of UDA's Ndakwa.
"We want to tell the IG of police that police are being used as a tool of violence and are working with goons. We want to tell the IEBC that this UDA candidate should be disqualified for going to the extent of wanting to harm his opponent," Wamalwa said.
Malava is one of the constituencies considered a battleground between the UDA and opposition, with tensions also being witnessed in areas like Mbeere North and Magarini in Kilifi County.
In total, six National Assembly constituencies are up for grabs, including Magarini Constituency (Kilifi), Banissa Constituency (Mandera), Mbeere North Constituency (Embu), Ugunja Constituency (Siaya), Kasipul Constituency (Homa Bay), and Malava Constituency (Kakamega), plus one Senate seat in Baringo County.
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