Gachagua's DCP Party Withdraws Candidate From Malava By-Election
Following the withdrawal, the DCP has thrown its support behind Democratic Alliance Party (DAP) candidate Seth Panyako.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has pulled Democratic Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Edgar Busiega out of the Malava constituency by-election.
Following the withdrawal, the DCP has thrown its support behind Democratic Alliance Party (DAP) candidate Seth Panyako.
Confirming this was the DAP-K party, which posted on X that "Wakili Edgar Busiega Mwanga, who was vying for the Malava Constituency parliamentary seat on DCP, has officially stepped down and backed DAP-K candidate Seth Panyako."
Adding "As the United Opposition, we now have one candidate in the upcoming by-election."
From left: Collage of Edgar Busiega and Seth Panyako. /VIRAL TEA KE
Panyako received a direct nomination ticket from DAP-K in preparation for the by-election.
During the handover ceremony held at Chui House in Nairobi on Thursday, September 18, DAP-K Party Leader Eugene Wamalwa announced that the United Opposition had unanimously chosen Panyako as its candidate for the seat.
"We will be sharing this report with the people of Malava today; we have no doubt that it will emerge that Seth Panyako is the sure bet. If anyone wants to defy the agreement of the joint opposition resolution, then the results will still be reflected on the ballot on November 27th," he said.
Prior to the handover ceremony, DAP-K aspirant Caleb Burudi contested Seth Panyako’s eligibility to run in the Malava by-election.
In a letter to the National Elections Board Chair dated Monday, September 15, Burudi argued that Panyako was still serving as a public officer—a Board Member at the Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPFUND)—and had not resigned, as required by law for anyone seeking elective office.
He maintained that this made Panyako ineligible to participate in the upcoming November 27, 2025, by-election, insisting that his nomination application should be rejected and that he should be barred from taking part in any party primaries.
Burudi also cited an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) notice, which declared the Malava parliamentary seat vacant on August 8, 2025. According to him, Panyako was legally required to resign by August 15, seven days after the vacancy notice, but failed to do so and continued to hold a public office.
He urged the party to immediately disqualify Panyako, warning that he would take legal action if the issue was not addressed.
Notably, the party in September had denied reports suggesting it had withdrawn from the Malava parliamentary by-election.
In a statement, the Gachagua-led outfit reaffirmed that its candidate, Busiega, had remained in the contest. Party Secretary General Hezron Obaga dismissed the withdrawal claims as misleading.
