IN SHORT: A letter shared online in early November 2025 claims that DAP-K fired some officials, including party leader Eugene Wamalwa and appointed new interim leaders. But the Kenyan political party has flagged the letter as fake.
A document circulating on social media appears to be an official letter from the Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K), dated 12 November 2025.
According to the letter, the party’s national executive committee (NEC) removed party leader Eugene Wamalwa and secretary general Dr Eseli Simiyu. It then names Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya as the new party leader and Seth Kuka Panyako as the new secretary general.
The posts sharing the letter have attracted thousands of views and significant engagement.
Political tensions inside DAP-K
DAP-K is a Kenyan political party formed in 2021, with most of its support in western Kenya. The party is led by Wamalwa, with Natembeya as his deputy. In the 2022 general elections, the party won five parliamentary seats and one governorship, that of Natembeya.
In August 2025, there were internal power struggles between two factions of Wamalwa and Natembeya over the direction the party should take.
The party received several petitions seeking to remove both Wamalwa and Natembeya from their leadership positions. However, the leaders later met and gave a joint statement assuring the public of their unity, and stating that the internal disputes resolution committee would resolve the issues.
According to a news report, a committee formed to resolve their dispute failed to reach an agreement and decided to postpone the resolution until after the by-elections. The leaders, however, worked together to campaign for their candidates, mainly ahead of the Malava by-elections, which were scheduled for 27 November 2025.
Panyako was the party’s candidate for the Malava parliamentary seat. The letter began circulating only weeks before the vote, claiming that the party leader was among those expelled and that Panyako was appointed the new secretary general.
If true, it would indicate an even bigger rift in the party. But is the letter genuine? We checked.
Party officials confirm the letter is fake
Panyako, the DAP-K candidate in the Malava by-elections, was widely supported by the party, with both Wamalwa and Natembeya campaigning for him. The claim that a candidate for the elections had been appointed in changes that expelled senior leaders who were helping him campaign would be strange.
More importantly, DAP-K publicly rejected the document soon after it began circulating. On its official social media accounts, the party posted the same letter, with a large red “FAKE” stamp.
It urged supporters to ignore it, writing: “FAKE! Eyes on the Malava Ball. No sideshows!”
News outlets also reported that party officials dismissed the letter as an attempt to create confusion in the party and influence the then upcoming by-elections.
Party leaders said the document was not authorised, not issued by the NEC and did not represent any real decision by DAP-K.
The letter is fake. The Democratic Action Party-Kenya has openly disowned it, and news reports confirm it was not an official communication.
For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”. This could have serious consequences. What do you do?
Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.
Publishers guideAfrica Check teams up with Facebook
Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.
Add new comment