The race to replace the late Malava Member of Parliament, Malulu Injendi, who died early this year, is hotting up, and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party is finding itself between a rock and a hard place in deciding who is the suitable candidate to be handed the ticket.

Five aspirants, Simon Kangwana, Enock Andanje, Leonard Shimaka, David Ndakwa, and the late MP’s son Rhyan Injendi, are eyeing the UDA ticket.

Already, Shimaka is said to be planning his exit from the party and recently held a meeting with Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako, who is the Democratic Action Party of Kenya candidate in Mombasa.

In the meeting, he reportedly shared his frustrations in the party, revealing that he had lost millions of shillings to some Members of County Assembly from the area, allegedly close to the President’s aide, Farouk Kibet, who have taken the role of agents.

However, area MCAs have assured him of the ticket, and he continues to finance them.

While it is not clear which political vehicle he plans to use, confirmed reports indicate that he has met top party officials of the Amason Kingi-led Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) and the Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Edwin Sifuna.

Close sources say he has been asked to wreck the UDA ship from within before officially exiting, and his presence is likely to cause more harm than good to the party’s support base.

The MCAs, who have taken the ticket issue as a money-minting business, are said to be misleading the government by claiming that clan politics will play a major role.

However, from time immemorial, Malava voters have always voted as per their wish.

In 1989, Nathan Anaswa was voted in against the government’s choice of former Health Minister Joshua Angatia, while in 1997, powerful politician Maxwell Shamallah was defeated in the Ford Kenya party nominations.

Musavini Nambwa lost to Shitanda in 2007, while in 2013, Saidi Khasavuli of the United Democratic Forum Party was floored by Injendi of the little-known Maendeleo Democratic Party after shambolic nominations.

In 2022, despite heavy funding to Panyako by the United Democratic Alliance, the people of Malava re-elected Injendi.

Ndakwa was overheard telling his colleagues that Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi had assured him of the ticket and that Farouk Kibet had no say in the matter, claiming he is an unwanted guest in Malava.

To Ndakwa, Mudavadi has the final say and his ticket is a done deal, even as he faces accusations from voters of deserting his home immediately after being elected as an MCA.

He is said to be traceable only to his rented apartment in Kakamega.

As the ticket puzzle rages on, the electorate is watching to see if the government will subvert the will of the people and impose the MCAs’ project, Shimaka, or Mudavadi’s choice, Ndakwa.

The area has always voted for individuals based on ideology and vision.

Clan and regional segmentation, seen as serving only personal interests pushed by the MCAs, appears dead on arrival.