Nairobi

The room fell silent as word rippled through the audience: Enock Andanje, a United Democratic Alliance candidate for Malava Constituency, had collapsed—and died—mid-event.

Andanje, a former principal at Bungoma High School, was part of a public empowerment forum attended by Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi when the incident occurred. The news unfolded during the event, just as Mudavadi paused and shared the devastating announcement with the crowd.

“While we were seated here, I received news that one of us, Enock Andanje, has died,” said Mudavadi in a somber tone. The room was stunned; many attendees later expressed disbelief and grief, with social media quickly filling with tributes.

Andanje’s candidacy added another chapter to the evolving narrative of the upcoming by-election in Malava. His sudden death casts a pall over the campaign and leaves a void in a field already gaining public attention.

As investigations begin into the cause of his collapse, the political landscape in Malava is left to reconfigure. Election officials and party strategists will now need to determine how to proceed in a race that abruptly lost one of its contenders.