UDA Warns Members Who Backed Opponents, Urges Them to Resign and Seek Fresh Mandates
However, Khalwale defied the warning and continued his campaign for Panyako, saying it was a democratic right, and dismissed threats by UDA to strip him of his current role as Senate Majority Whip.
Senator Khalwale with Seth Panyako during a rally in Shikutse on 21st November 2025. Photo/Courtesy.
By Ruth Sang
United Democratic Alliance has sent a stern message to party members who openly supported rival candidates in the by-elections held on Thursday, November 27. The party leadership has challenged such members to step down from their current positions and test their alleged popularity through fresh political contests.
Addressing journalists on Friday, November 28, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar said the party would no longer tolerate internal sabotage. He insisted that any member confident enough to defy party directions should emulate past political figures who resigned and sought a new mandate from the electorate.
“If you think that you have genuine support, then do what Raila Odinga once did; resign and meet us at the ballot,” Omar announced during the press briefing.
The remarks were seen by many as directed at Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, who threw his weight behind DAP-K candidate Seth Panyako instead of supporting UDA’s David Ndakwa in the Malava parliamentary by-election. Khalwale explained that Panyako was best suited to address the aspirations of the Malava community and would be more willing to attend to their needs.
In the hotly contested race, UDA’s David Ndakwa won despite controversy, garnering 21,564 votes against Panyako’s 20,210. Salim Abdalla, the IEBC returning officer, announced the results at the Malava tallying centre on the morning of November 28, 2025. Ndakwa’s triumph was seen as a major win for the ruling party and its local leadership.
Before the election, UDA’s disciplinary committee had served Senator Khalwale with a formal notice, dated October 2025, accusing him of breaching party loyalty and misconduct. However, Khalwale defied the warning and continued his campaign for Panyako, saying it was a democratic right, and dismissed threats by UDA, going on to dare the party to strip him of his current role as Senate Majority Whip.
According to Khalwale, his loyalty lies with the people who elected him, not with a political party seeking to dictate his choices. “They expect me to turn my back on my community because of a title. I will not betray my own for political favours,” he responded sharply, adding he had already politically detached himself from UDA. He further announced plans to run for the Kakamega governorship in 2027 under a different party.
At the same briefing, UDA celebrated its performance in the by-elections, highlighting the wins as a testimony of the party’s growing influence across the country. Omar took a swipe at opposition parties, which he described as “village outfits,” claiming they only managed to win a handful of local assembly seats. Omar further criticized Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of repeatedly issuing threats and trying to interfere with the operations of independent institutions such as the police and IEBC. He called on all state agencies to uphold the Constitution and resist any form of intimidation.
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