Kabuchai-Chwele MCA Erick Wekesa Claims He Has Faced Death Threats Since Election Victory
Kabuchai-Chwele Member of County Assembly Erick Wekesa has alleged that he has been living under constant threats and intimidation since securing his seat in the November 27, 2025 by-election.
Speaking during an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) engagement forum on Monday, December 8, the newly elected MCA—who won the seat as an independent candidate despite a dominant Ford Kenya presence in the region—said his victory had come “at a heavy personal cost.”
Wekesa told the forum that he and members of his campaign team had been subjected to political violence in the aftermath of the poll. According to him, the threats had escalated to such an extent that he was no longer able to live in his own home.
“I have never slept in my house since I was elected,” he said. “My family cannot even access my house. My wife is not at home, and my elderly mother is living in the bushes. I am an MCA who cannot freely discharge his mandate.”
The lawmaker further claimed that 17 members of his campaign team remain hospitalised after sustaining injuries in alleged attacks linked to his political opponents. He described the situation as a deliberate campaign of intimidation aimed at undermining his leadership.
Wekesa also revealed that he had stopped using his internet-enabled phone due to fears of being traced. He accused unnamed, influential political figures in Bungoma County of orchestrating what he termed “acts of terror” against him.
“On 31st October, I was beaten before an OCPD by a known person, and no action has been taken against him since,” he said, expressing frustration at what he believes is a failure by local law enforcement to act.
Despite the alleged threats, the MCA expressed hope that state security agencies would intervene to address what he called a growing culture of political impunity in the region.
“We need to stop this entitlement in politics and to power—that if it is not my person, then it will not be,” he said. “This is what is bedevilling our politics in Bungoma. Some people believe they should not have lost that seat. I want to urge politicians to stop this entitlement.”
Wekesa secured the Kabuchai-Chwele ward seat with the backing of a coalition of opposition leaders, defeating Ford Kenya’s Vincent Maunda, who garnered 2,765 votes. Other candidates in the race included Samuel Barasa (69 votes), Phanice Kutwa (52), Kizito Matumbai (75), Elizabeth Situma (17), Dan Simiyu (29), Margaret Nabwala (4) and Evans Barasa (41).
The IEBC has yet to comment publicly on Wekesa’s allegations. Authorities have also not issued a formal response regarding the claims of violence and threats reported by the newly elected MCA.
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Kabuchai-Chwele MCA Erick Wekesa Claims He Has Faced Death Threats Since Election Victory