Farouk Kibet's efforts might help UDA to win Malava by-election contest

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) nomination campaigns for the Malava Constituency by-election kicked off on a sad note Friday last week. One of its five contestants, Enock Andanje, collapsed on his way to a meeting at Bulupi Primary School, Malava. The rally was held to introduce aspirants and to kick-start the nomination campaigns.

News of Andanje's death caused consternation and disbelief. The rumuor mill immediately went into overdrive, especially because he had not been sick. Where sudden death is concerned, the Luhya do not believe in coincidences. To them, death does not just happen, except in instances of old age or protracted, explainable sickness.

Malava has been without a Member of Parliament following the death of Malulu Injendi in February this year. At the time, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission had not been constituted. As it were, 16 Member of County Assembly seats, one Senate and six MP seats have been vacant for the same reason. 

After IEBC announced the date of all pending by-elections as November 27, 2025, and gave parties up to September 17, 2025 to name their candidates, political parties hit the ground running.

Malava Constituency occupies a special place in the scheme of things for UDA, but more so, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. The late former MP won the seat on an ANC ticket, but the party was dissolved in March this year and its members joined UDA. 

The Malava by-election will test UDA's popularity in the region against the new kids on the block; Rigathi Gachagua's Democracy for Citizens Party and Eugene Wamalwa's Democratic Action Party. Mudavadi must lead the campaign to ensure UDA, and by extension, Kenya Kwanza wins. In the last week alone, he has visited Malava twice, meeting with teachers and women groups. 

Mudavadi's official schedule might make it difficult for him to traverse Malava selling UDA on a weekly basis. That, however, will not weaken UDAs blitzkrieg. From the outset, Farouk Kibet was entrusted with the job of selling UDA following Malulu's death. He has literally camped in the region for months and has adopted a different strategy from that of politicians, preferring to worm himself into the trust of the most vulnerable, yet influential groups; widows, women and youth. 

Farouk also has the advantage of speaking Kabras, the local lingua franca, with such fluency he could pass for a local. Mudavadi, on the other hand, speaks Maragoli, one of the 17 Luhya dialects. Shared language binds people.

It inspires trust, which makes Farouk valuable and central to whatever plans UDA has for Malava. By combining persuasion with firmness, coupled with his closeness to the President and personal touch, Farouk gives UDA the edge in Malava.

Realistically, Malava is for UDA to lose. The memorandum of understanding between ODM and UDA that birthed the broad-based government has kept ODM out of the contest, leaving the coast almost clear for UDA. 

Gachagua’s DCP is handicapped by the perception it's a tribal party. It may be further hampered by long held tribal distrust between the Luhya and Kikuyu, where the latter are seen by the former as manipulative and being too money-minded. 

Notwithstanding that DAP is a local party that should have the advantage, it is tearing apart because of infighting that pits its party leader Eugene Wamalwa against Deputy Party leader, George Natembeya. This will distract the party's concentration on the Malava by-election.

And while opposition leaders will be kept busy fending off each other, Farouk will be doing what Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, the password holder to leadership in Western, has failed to do after many years of trying; uniting Luhya leaders. 

Has Atwoli, even once, led a bevy of Luhya MPs in a dance on the dais? No, yet Farouk effortlessly brings Luhya MPs together whenever he tours the region, getting them on stage to engage in jovial dances. Enemies do not engage in jigs, friends do. That is how UDA is poised to take the victory dance on November 27 when it is likely to romp home. It has the organisation, zeal and wherewithal to win while others bicker.