Malava Constituency UDA candidate David Ndakwa for the upcoming by-elections
By Wakhungu Indaje
As the Malava by-election date nears, the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has intensified its campaign against the opposition after recruiting over 500 community health promoters.
The health service providers play a crucial role as they interact daily with citizens at the grassroots level.
UDA heavyweights led by Western MPs Caucus Chairman Bernard Shinali, Ikolomani MP Fred Ikana, Presidential aide Farouk Kibet, DAP–Kenya founder-turned-foe Caleb Burudi, Roots Party Malava aspirant-turned-defector Caleb Sunguti, and UDA aspirants who lost in the nominations Leonard Shimaka and Rhyan Injendi, alongside several Members of the County Assembly, pitched camp at St. Teresa’s Isanjiro grounds.
The team drummed up support for the UDA candidate David Ndakwa, who is seeking to succeed the late Malava MP Malulu Injendi, and also promised more government support for the grassroots health workers.
Western MPs Caucus Chairman Bernard Shinali agreed to the demands by the community health promoters to have both their county and national government salaries harmonized into one and paid in full.
Shinali further noted that it was time their stipends were increased to at least Ksh 10,000 per individual. He called on Kakamega’s community health promoters to stand with and support the government, not only in the upcoming by-election but also in the 2027 general election.
His Shinyalu counterpart, Fred Ikana, urged the health promoters to remain vigilant and recruit more supporters for the government. He challenged each community health promoter to recruit 50 voters in favour of David Ndakwa in the by-election.
Presidential aide Farouk Kibet assured the health promoters that the government was working to uplift their working conditions, acknowledging their critical role as first responders in medical emergencies.
“The government is working on modalities to better equip and support your services since you play a vital role in saving lives. You are on the frontline of healthcare at the grassroots level, and through your efforts, many lives have been saved. If we empower you with motorcycles and bicycles to ease mobility and respond faster to emergencies, even more lives will be saved across the country,” said Kibet.
He added that the government would review their wages, especially if they supported Ndakwa’s bid for the Malava parliamentary seat, to enable him to push a bill in Parliament advocating for better remuneration and working conditions.
UDA candidate David Ndakwa emphasized the importance of community health promoters in healthcare delivery, promising to prioritize their welfare if elected.
“An equipped community health practitioner is an asset to society. It will be my duty to empower you because you play a vital role in providing medical attention to citizens in their time of need,” said Ndakwa.
He added that he would push for an increase in their monthly stipend to Ksh 15,000 and ensure they receive adequate medical supplies and support to enhance service delivery.
The health promoters, in turn, pledged to support Ndakwa and the government, citing the administration’s continued efforts to improve their welfare and working environment.
