A tense day of voting turned chaotic after violence broke out in Malava and Kasipul, leaving residents frightened and bringing the by-election exercise to an abrupt standstill. The calm of the morning was interrupted when a vehicle linked to DAP-K Party leader Eugene Wamalwa was attacked in Malava, causing panic among locals who had been moving between polling stations.
The situation quickly escalated into a dangerous scene that left many questioning the safety of the voting process.Witnesses explained that the trouble started when two rival political groups crossed paths not far from where the incident occurred.
What began as a confrontation soon intensified, and within minutes an unidentified man with his face covered appeared at the roadside. According to those present, the man opened fire at Wamalwa’s vehicle, damaging one of its tyres.
The vehicle was later set ablaze, shocking residents who watched from a distance as tension spread through the area.
Wamalwa had been moving around the constituency as he accompanied DAP-K candidate Seth Panyako, who had earlier cast his vote.
Their presence drew crowds from both sides, and shortly after, clashes broke out between Panyako’s supporters and those rallying behind UDA candidate David Ndakwa.
The clash quickly turned aggressive, and the attack on the vehicle became the highlight of the chaos, forcing many residents to scatter and hide until the situation settled.People who were on their way to vote found themselves running for safety.
The confusion caused a temporary halt to normal activities in Malava, but with time, calm began to return. Residents slowly resumed their routines once the fight died down, though the fear of further violence still lingered.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Malava arrived soon after and launched an investigation to identify those behind the attack and understand what triggered the confrontation.
Even as Malava tried to regain stability, news from Kasipul in Homa Bay added to the tension surrounding the day’s election activities.
Another violent incident was reported at the Agoro Sare polling centre, where Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma was attacked while accompanying ODM candidate Boyd Were.
Reports indicated that a group of goons confronted the MP soon after his arrival, and the situation turned chaoticIn the disorder, one of Kaluma’s bodyguards reportedly lost his firearm, raising serious concerns about how far the attackers were willing to go.
Kaluma was seen bleeding from the head, with blood on his neck and chest as he was led away from the scene. He later accused Independent Candidate Philip Aroko of being behind the violence, claiming the attackers wanted to scare voters and disrupt the electoral process.
He insisted that the goal of the attackers was to provoke a fight and stop people from voting, urging supporters to remain calm even as tension grew.
Kaluma had earlier cautioned that the hostility in Kasipul was not ordinary, saying the violence was being fuelled by external forces attempting to influence the outcome. He urged residents to stay focused and not allow fear to keep them away from the polls.
His message remained firm that voting should continue and that no interference would be tolerated, despite the frightening events of the day.
