As UDA continues its empowerment campaigns in Malava, launching scathing attacks on the DCP presence in the constituency, calls for one term from the latter continue to ring in the ears of the Malava voters.

While on a candidate popularization and party grassroots mobilization tour, the DCP brigade held its campaign at Ingavira Market, where it continued to poke holes into what it termed as bad leadership within the country.

Led by its Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala, the party presented Lawyer Edgar Busiega Mwanga as its candidate to vie for the Malava parliamentary seat in the coming by-election.

The rally, which was hyped by the “Wantam” echoes—especially from the young people—saw Malala take on the government over what he alleged as failed promises, abductions and killings of peaceful demonstrators, and the high cost of living that has greatly affected the lifestyles of many Kenyans.

Malala said it was time for the Malava people to elect a young, visionary leader who would bring new development to the people.

“The country is slowly drifting into the young leaders, as we have Edwin Sifuna, Babu Owino, Osoro, Methu, among others, and it is also time Malava should head in the same direction,” he suggested.

He lashed out at aspirants—some of whom are retired and hence unfit to hold public office—who were stumbling over each other in UDA to capture the eye of the party leadership to be considered for nomination as the UDA Malava candidate.

“I call upon the people of Malava to rally and support Edgar’s candidature through the DCP if you want to get the fruits of development. But if you choose these retirees we are seeing here, who have exceeded their usefulness, you will never see a single development,” he assured.

He stated that Edgar was learned and capable of attending the National Assembly and articulating crucial issues affecting the Malava people professionally.

Malala, on cane farming, challenged the government to also issue Malava farmers with bonuses the way it did in Mumias.

“If Mr. President, you really say you love the Malava people, kindly show them by awarding the cane farmers bonuses the way you dished out Ksh. 150 million to Mumias. But remember, Malava has two factories—West Kenya and Butali Sugar Mills—so the amount should double to Ksh. 300 million,” he quipped.

On leadership, he challenged Musalia Mudavadi to walk the talk by ensuring that Malava, which is his political stronghold, has tangible development—including the Malava-Samitsi Road, which he termed as being used to search for votes with promises of being tarmacked if they are elected, but which vanishes once they become leaders.

He also blasted the shaky DAP-Kenya intrusion in the Malava political arena, saying it was a tribal outfit for the Bungoma people and has always sidelined the Kabras community when it comes to national cake sharing.

He dismissed its candidate Seth Panyako, whom he said was a sworn political foe of the late MP (Malulu Injendi), having contested against him and lost narrowly by 2,000 votes (22,000 against 20,000), hence would not serve diligently those who supported the late MP.

Edgar told the crowd that once in Parliament as Malava MP, he would push for the passing into law of the scrapping of double taxation on cane farmers and ensure that all millers have mobile weighbridges to allow sugarcane to be weighed on the farms before being transported to various factories.

He also promised to streamline bursary allocation to enable the truly needy students to access the funds.

“Education is very key in the country, and as your next MP, I will constitute a sub-location office to receive bursary requests to sort out the bright, needy students from their area. This will ensure the funds reach the real needy cases,” he revealed.

He also confirmed that he would ensure the Medical Training College in Malava is completed and would bring a university branch and banking institutions to the area, as the two factories—Butali and West Kenya—pay cane farmers Ksh. 150 million and Ksh. 130 million respectively every week on Thursdays and Fridays. But farmers either have to go to Kakamega or Webuye to receive their cash, which has denied Malava the opportunity to grow economically, since they spend their money in those towns.

He assured the people of Malava that he was all set to serve them as their next MP.