Just days after a former Umoiner Tout was gazetted by the Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission as the ODM candidate for Umoja 2 Ward, Shadrach Machanje now says that he fears for his life. gazettement
The gazettement by the electoral body seems to have rubbed some people the wrong way because now the former tout is receiving death threats from unknown people.
Machanje who was the victim of an assault attack is now living in fear after getting the threats especially because he was attacked in April by an unknown attacker who assaulted him and fled on a motorbike.
Machanje suspects that the threats could be coming from his political opponents, especially because his candidacy seems to be getting opposition from all quarters. "I have received specific threats on my life. There is a bunch of people who are seeing my candidacy as a threat. I have already recorded a statement with the Police," he said.
In the WhatsApp chat, an unidentified person stated "Brace yourself for a byelection in Umoja 2 ward three months after the General Election", the message read.
These latest threats bring to memory the mysterious death of Mellitus Mugabe Were, a Kenyan politician affiliated with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). He was elected to the National Assembly of Kenya to represent Embakasi Constituency in the parliamentary election held on 27 December 2007. He was killed outside his house in the Nairobi suburb of Woodley, adjacent to the Kibera slum.
His political rivals were heard questioning how he has made it this far considering that he is the underdog.
The former boxer has been embroiled in a protracted legal battle with the incumbent MCA Joseph Ndonji, despite the party maintaining that he is their bona fide candidate. Machanje shot into the limelight after the ODM primaries where he won but Ndonji immediately rushed to court to challenge his win even seeking the imprisonment of ODM's Catherine Mumma and John Mbadi.
The dispute has been pending in Court for the last 3 months after the Party settled on him through a direct nomination.