Wilberforce Tuvei’s fiery message in Malava is a classic appeal to local pride and voter independence. By branding rival campaigners as “outsiders,” he is tapping into strong community identity and resentment over perceived neglect. His promises to farmers, particularly on sugar cane pricing and road maintenance, target Malava’s economic heartbeat, giving his campaign a practical edge beyond rhetoric. However, his sharp rejection of external influence could alienate powerful political players who often bankroll and shape by-elections. The contest may hinge on whether voters value Tuvei’s defiance and local-first agenda over alignment with national political networks and patronage systems.
Kenya Moja candidate for the November 27 Malava parliamentary by-election, Wilberforce Tuvei, has urged “outsiders” to keep off the race and allow residents to freely elect their leader.
Speaking in Chegulo village on Tuesday, he said Malava voters were capable of making independent choices without external influence.
“The people of Malava are not dumb. They have made decisions in the past, and this by-election will not be an exception. Outsiders who have camped here to tell us the kind of leader we should elect are insulting our intelligence. I want to tell them to leave us alone,” Tuvei said.
He accused those pushing voters to back particular candidates of being behind Malava’s underdevelopment, despite the constituency being in government for years.
Tuvei said all candidates in the by-election understand local challenges and do not need outsiders to dictate solutions.
If elected, he said, his priority will be the welfare of sugar cane farmers, promising to push for better cane prices comparable to those enjoyed by tea farmers.
Tuvei also vowed to lobby the Kakamega government to channel cess levies collected from cane farmers into maintaining roads in the sugar belt.
“Malava has some of the worst roads in Kakamega county despite farmers paying cess that should be used to fix them,” he said.
Tuvei further pledged to work with teachers and parents to improve education standards, while also addressing gaps in last-mile electricity connectivity, which he said had left the constituency lagging behind.
