DAP-Kenya party leader Eugene Wamalwa has recalled Peter Salasya’s difficult political journey, highlighting how the Mumias East MP rose from an unsuccessful 2017 campaign to winning a parliamentary seat five years later.
Wamalwa said he first became aware of Salasya’s political ambitions when the lawmaker was still struggling to establish himself in elective politics.
According to Wamalwa, Salasya had contested the 2017 election but suffered a heavy defeat, finishing last with only 254 votes.
Despite the setback, Wamalwa said Salasya did not abandon his political ambitions and remained determined to represent residents of Mumias East.
“By the time we met again in the run-up to the 2022 General Election, PK was still the same relentless young man determined, audacious and deeply convinced that he could represent the people of Mumias East,” Wamalwa said.
The DAP-Kenya leader said what impressed him about Salasya was his determination despite lacking the financial resources normally associated with parliamentary campaigns.
Wamalwa recalled that Salasya campaigned largely on foot as he sought votes ahead of the 2022 General Election. His supporters also reportedly joined efforts to help him construct a modest home.
According to Wamalwa, Salasya’s financial circumstances became a subject of ridicule among his political opponents, some of whom questioned whether he could overcome the challenges and eventually make it to Parliament.
“But I have always believed that leadership is sometimes about seeing what circumstances conceal. I saw a young man who was willing to work and had connected with ordinary people,” Wamalwa said.
The former Cabinet minister said Salasya’s connection with ordinary voters and his persistence eventually helped transform his political fortunes.
The turning point came during the August 9, 2022 General Election when Salasya secured the Mumias East parliamentary seat on the DAP-Kenya ticket.
Wamalwa noted that the young politician who had previously received only 254 votes went on to secure 12,140 votes, marking a significant turnaround in his political career.
“Then came August 9, 2022. The young man many had dismissed walked into history. Peter Salasya was elected Member of Parliament for Mumias East with 12,140 votes,” Wamalwa said.
Salasya’s political journey has since made him one of the more recognisable young lawmakers in the National Assembly, with his rise often linked to his grassroots campaigning and personal determination.
Wamalwa’s account offers a reflection on Salasya’s progression from an unsuccessful first attempt at elective politics to becoming the elected representative of Mumias East.