Democratic Congress Party (DCP) Deputy Leader Cleophas Malala has boldly claimed that the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) will lose all 22 contested seats in the upcoming by-elections, urging the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to act independently and set the election dates without further delay.
Speaking on Tuesday, Malala expressed confidence in DCP’s readiness and ability to claim all the seats, saying the ruling party has already conducted internal surveys and foreseen defeat. “UDA has done a survey and realised that out of the 22 by-elections, there is none that they can win,” he asserted.
He added that the IEBC had previously promised to announce the by-election dates within a week but has yet to do so. “I urge the IEBC to live by its words… We are ready for elections and IEBC should give us a date as soon as possible,” Malala said, cautioning the ruling party against influencing the commission’s decisions.
DCP, which was officially launched on July 7, is preparing to field candidates in all the by-elections—its first-ever participation in an electoral contest. Malala revealed that the party has attracted a significant number of aspirants and vowed to uphold democratic values during nominations.
“We convened a meeting of aspirants who are going to contest in the forthcoming elections. DCP has attracted many aspirants. We are going to allow democracy to work,” he said.
Currently, there are 23 by-elections pending, including six National Assembly seats, one Senate seat, and 16 Member of County Assembly (MCA) positions. The increase from 22 to 23 came after the Court of Appeal upheld the nullification of Harrison Kombe’s election as Magarini MP on May 31.
The seats became vacant due to a mix of appointments to government positions, assassinations, and deaths. Key vacancies include the Baringo Senate seat, Magarini, Malava, Banisa, Ugunja, Mbere North, and Kasipul constituencies.
Malala noted that candidates for Banisa and Malava are already engaging with voters, signalling DCP’s early start on the campaign trail.
