Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has alleged a plot to arrest him ahead of the crucial Malava constituency by-election scheduled for Thursday. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Khalwale said he had received informal information suggesting that authorities were planning to apprehend him, a move he linked to rising political tensions in the constituency.
The senator declared that he would not be cowed by the alleged threat, insisting that he had no intention of going into hiding.
“I hear from the grapevine that they want to arrest me. Please, don’t waste your fuel — I will either sleep in my home, which is very well known, or I will sleep in Shitanda’s hotel in Malava,” he said. “Just come there, and I will accompany you in the usual way.”
Khalwale further claimed that his security detail had been withdrawn without explanation. As Senate Majority Whip, he said he is entitled to six police officers, all of whom had allegedly been recalled. He also linked the move to the withdrawal of security attached to Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.
“Where are they? What are you planning to do?” he posed, suggesting the changes could be part of wider political manoeuvres ahead of the vote.
However, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen dismissed assertions of political targeting. Speaking in Kasipul, Murkomen said the withdrawals were based on National Police Service (NPS) reports flagging concerns over the conduct of some officers assigned to VIPs.
“If a police officer attached to a VIP is walking and working with goons, the best thing is to remove them,” he said, emphasising that the decisions were purely precautionary.
The Malava by-election has drawn intense national attention, with UDA’s David Ndakwa and DAP-K’s Seth Panyako emerging as top contenders. The race has attracted senior leaders from both government and opposition, underscoring its political significance.
Khalwale maintained that intimidation would not dissuade him from supporting Panyako’s campaign. He noted that political intimidation was not new to him, recalling decades of confrontations with authorities.
The by-election follows the death of MP Moses Malulu Injendi on February 17 and is among 24 polls set to take place nationwide on Thursday.
