Cleophas Malala: Playing both teams, scoring for one

Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala has defended his decision to decamp from ANC and join President William Ruto’s UDA party, saying he had widely consulted on the matter before switching camps.

Mr Malala, the new secretary-general of the UDA party, spoke in the wake of mounting anxiety among a section of ANC supporters from western region – the backyard of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

Mr Isaac Otiende, the Kakamega County executive director of the ANC party said members were waiting for the political backlash in the wake of Mr Malala’s defection to UDA.

“If ANC does not handle this matter well, there will be serious repercussions on the future of the party. There are those who feel let down by Mr Mudavadi for failing to reward his foot soldiers who stood by him after he was appointed to the Prime Cabinet Secretary position. Things are clearly not looking good,” said Mr Otiende.

The move by Mr Malala could further jolt hopes for the elusive Luhya unity that leaders from western region have been pushing for.

“Gone are the days when we used to take the issue of Luhya unity initiative and take it as political rhetoric. Now we are walking the talk. The only way we can unite the Luhya community is by showing them the benefit of being in government,” said the former Kakamega senator.

He said communities in the region should join one strong political vehicle in preparation for the 2027 elections.

Mr Malala said the time had come for communities in the region to back President Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration.
He explained that his decision was not meant to undermine the Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties, including ANC and Ford-Kenya.

The former senator, who contested for the Kakamega governor seat but lost to Mr Fernandes Barasa, said he had arrived at the decision after extensive consultations.

He said President Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza leadership had been involved in the consultations and it was agreed that a formidable team should be crafted to implement Dr Ruto’s political agenda in preparation for 2027.

The Kenya Kwanza leadership had decided to tap into his ‘talent’ to help spearhead President Ruto’s political agenda as he focuses on delivering on the development agenda, said Mr Malala.

Musalia consulted

“My transfer from ANC was the product of a consultative process. I did not wake up one day in the morning and become a UDA member. We consulted every person within Kenya Kwanza. I personally consulted my party leader. The Head of State who is also the UDA party leader consulted my former party leader (Musalia).

“We agreed the move was necessary so that they can tap my talent to ensure that we are politically stable as a political entity because we don’t want to go the Jubilee way – where the party forgot to do the politics and waited for five years and tried to do what its leadership had failed to do while in power,” said Mr Malala.

He maintained that his decision to persuade Mr Mudavadi and Ford-Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula to work with President Ruto in the lead up to last year’s General Election was meant to ensure communities in western region had a stake in the Kenya Kwanza administration.

He argued that communities in western region had for a long time supported opposition leader Raila Odinga but failed to benefit from the partnership.

But ANC chairman Kevin Lunani described the move by Mr Malala to defect to UDA as an individual position.

“Mr Malala was not an official of the party. He is at liberty to choose what he wants. Indeed, he talked to the party leadership and we gave him the go-ahead,” said Mr Lunani.

Responding to remarks by Mr Malala, who has announced plans for the folding of Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties, Mr Lunani said he was unaware of the plan.

“ANC will not fold as indicated. We are an affiliate of UDA in the Kenya Kwanza administration and there has not been any problem. But five years is a long time in politics. As a party, we have our strategy,” said Mr Lunani.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale said Mr Malala had made the right decision to join UDA.

“Mr Malala has realised that as the ruling party, UDA is attractive and he needs to rescue his political fortunes by joining the party.

Malala is doing what some of us did a long time ago. He has realised that if he does not change tact, he could end up sinking politically,” said Mr Khalwale.

He urged Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang’ula to fold their parties and join UDA.

Mr Khalwale said: “Mr Malala has been proposed for the position of the secretary-general. He has served as a senator for five years and I think he has enough experience as a politician to serve in the position. We wish him well; we hope he will preside over the forthcoming elections when he is properly elected.”

“My advice to Mr Mudavadi is that he should smell the coffee. All ANC members are going to decamp to UDA. Wetang’ula should do the same,” said Dr Khalwale.

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