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Shock as UDA aspirant in Malava by-election collapses and dies at a public event
What you need to know:
- Mr Andanje was pronounced dead on arrival at Oasis Hospital in Bungoma where he had been rushed.
- Malava parliamentary seat has been vacant since February this year following the death of Malulu Injendi.
A widows’ empowerment event at Bulupi, Malava, Kakamega County, took a tragic turn on Friday following the sudden death of a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) aspirant.
Mr Enock Andanje, a retired high school principal and respected educationist, collapsed during the event, which was presided over by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Mr Farouk Kibet, an aide to President William Ruto.
Mr Andanje was pronounced dead on arrival at Oasis Hospital in Bungoma where he had been rushed.
The late Enock Andanje was a UDA aspirant for the Malava Constituency by-election.
The retired educator had recently declared his candidacy in the forthcoming Malava by-election.
The parliamentary seat has been vacant since February this year following the death of Malulu Injendi.
Former Malava Member of Parliament Malulu Injendi.
Mr Andanje enjoyed a distinguished career in education, serving as principal at Bungoma Boys High School, Malava Boys High School, Bishop Njenga Girls in Lugari, and Esalwa Secondary School in Bunyoro.
He also held the position of chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association, where he championed the interests of secondary school heads across the country.
The cause of his sudden death remains unknown, pending a post-mortem examination.
According to Mr Harrison Tanga, UDA secretary-general for Malava Sub-county, Mr Andanje showed signs of distress prior to the event.
"At one point, he was unable to alight from his vehicle due to weakness in his legs. We rushed him to hospital, but sadly, doctors confirmed his passing," Mr Tanga recounted.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that Mr Andanje appeared frail upon arrival.
“We had to assist him out of the car. Unfortunately, he was overwhelmed and did not survive,” said Mr Richard Mwenye.
Mr Mudavadi expressed his sorrow, confirming that Mr Andanje passed away while attending the UDA-sponsored empowerment event for widows.
“His death is a heavy loss, not just to his family and community, but also to the UDA Party. He was a strong contender in the Malava by-election and had intensified his campaign efforts. We await the results of the post-mortem to determine the exact cause of his death,” said Mr Mudavadi.
Mr Andanje had received the endorsement of the Abatovo clan, one of the prominent sub-tribes in Malava Constituency, as their preferred candidate in the by-election.
“We held a meeting at Kaburengu and unanimously settled on Andanje as our choice. His sudden demise has robbed us of a visionary leader,” said Abatovo clan chairman Mr Elijah Karungani.
