Didmus Barasa Mocks Panyako After Emotional Moment at Malava By-Election

Kimilili MP and Bungoma gubernatorial hopeful Didmus Barasa stirred online reactions on Thursday after mocking Malava MP aspirant Seth Panyako, who broke down in tears at a polling station as voting for the Malava by-election kicked off. Barasa posted a video of the emotional moment on his X account and used it to suggest that United Democratic Alliance candidate David Ndakwa was taking an early lead. “Seth Panyako wails uncontrollably at a polling station as Ndakwa takes an early lead. Malava Constituency nikumoto,” Barasa stated.

Panyako, who had arrived at St Joseph’s Lunyu Primary School to cast his vote, became overwhelmed as he narrated a tense and frightening experience from the previous night involving his driver and suspicious activity around their hotel. The situation left him visibly shaken, prompting the moment captured in the video.

What Triggered Seth Panyako’s Emotional Reaction?

According to Panyako, a series of events created a sense of fear and uncertainty for him and his team. He said he received information that police were planning to raid their hotel, although no officers eventually showed up. The tension intensified when he was informed that Stanley Luvondo had arrived and wanted to see him. Luvondo’s car had its number plates concealed using black seal tape, something that immediately alarmed Panyako’s team.

Panyako explained that Luvondo and his associates had been moving around the constituency offering bribes to voters. Despite reporting these concerns multiple times to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, he said no action had been taken, which added to his distress during the voting process. “I received information that police were planning to raid our hotel, though they never showed up. At around 8:30, I was notified that Stanley Luvondo had arrived and wanted to see me. He had covered his number plates with black seal tape, prompting my team to question him. His group has been moving around issuing bribes, and despite repeatedly reporting the matter to the IEBC, no action has been taken,” Panyako stated earlier.

His emotional reaction highlighted the pressure surrounding the highly contested race, which has drawn significant attention following the death of former MP Malulu Injendi earlier this year.

The by-election features nine candidates competing for the parliamentary seat, making it a crowded and competitive field. Malava Constituency has more than 94,000 registered voters spread across 198 polling stations, positioning it as a critical political battleground in Kakamega County.

As counting progresses, the spotlight remains on the tense exchanges among candidates, the integrity of the voting process, and the political temperature within the constituency. With leaders already making bold claims online, the race continues to draw scrutiny both locally and nationally.

By Lucky Anyanje