Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, alongside Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, have condemned the November 27 Malava Constituency by-elections, alleging that the government machinery was used in a manner meant to influence the elections’ outcomes rather than protect the voters.
In a press briefing on November 28, 2025, Governor Natembeya stated that the opposition camp had given the government a run for its money.
“Come 2027, Western will not be available for these kinds of games,” Natembeya stated as he informed voters in the Western block that their leaders loved them.
Additionally, the governor went on to claim that the government, through security deployments to state operatives, played a hand in influencing the voters on election day.
“Most alarming was the scale of voter bribery conducted openly and with impunity. Money flowed freely in an attempt to substitute people's will with financial coercion,” Natembeya briefed.
Natembeya suggested that these electoral malpractices did not reflect a confident government, but a system afraid of the genuine democratic choice of the residents of Malava.
Moreover, Natembeya questioned the state’s commitment to fair competition, wondering aloud how credible future national polls could be if a single by-election in Western demanded such heavy deployment of security forces and financial persuasion.
The governor went on to reiterate his commitment to defending Kenyan democracy through every lawful means.
Natembeya concluded his press conference by saying that democracy belongs to the people, and no pressure will change that.
Alongside the governor during the press conference, Senator Khalwale claimed that the November 27 polls were marred by unnecessary drama and that Kenya might follow Tanzania's electoral predicament in 2027.
