DAP-K's candidate in the Malava parliamentary election, Seth Panyako, has been apprehended hours after he was attacked and his vehicles vandalised.
While confirming Panyako's detention, DAP-K disclosed that their candidate was currently being held at the Malava Police Station.
Reports indicate that Panyako was apprehended after visiting the police station to report the attack and vandalism of his vehicles by unknown people.
"Our candidate, Seth Panyako, has been apprehended and is currently being held at Malava Police Station," the DAP-Kenya party announced.
"This, even after goons under police supervision terrorised him the whole night, injured our agents, and destroyed property, and now they want to intimidate him. We will not allow it!" it added.
His detention also comes hours after he raised an alarm over a well-coordinated plot to take him out, insisting that unidentified people have been trailing him.
Addressing the press shortly after casting his vote at St Joseph Lunyu Primary School, the politician claimed that the main reason he was being targeted was that pre-election polls suggested he was the favourite to clinch the Malava MP seat.
"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 take me out," he claimed.
He alleged that his attack and the plot to eliminate him were part of a wider strategy by people he claimed were from the government to stop him from participating in the mini-polls.
The Malava by-elections are among the much-anticipated polls today, as they are considered a test of supremacy between the united opposition and the broad-based government in Kakamega.
The test is mainly between two prominent candidates, Seth Panyako, who represents the opposition and his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, and candidate David Ndakwa.
Panyako and Ndakwa are in intense competition to replace the late Malulu Injendi, who passed away in February this year after a brief illness.
