Former United Democratic Alliance Secretary-General Cleophas Malala.
The sacking of Cleophas Wakhungu Malalah as secretary-general of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has for months been a question of when, not if.
In the little over a year that he has held the plum post, Mr Malalah has stepped on many toes, upsetting both senior party officials and staff at Hustler Plaza on Ngong Road.
So when the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) met at 7am on Friday August 2, it was a matter of minutes before he was replaced by EALA MP Hassan Omar.
His sacking triggered a series of celebrations at the party's headquarters, with the rabble-rousing politician portrayed as an unwanted man in the ruling party.
On Friday, the party shared videos of its staff celebrating Mr Malala's departure.
"UDA party staff celebrates the exit of Sen. Cleophas Malalah as the party's Secretary General. Excited party staff took time to celebrate Malalah's ouster, saying the move will help move the party forward as he had stagnated many party programmes," the party said on its official Facebook page.
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Mr Malala told the Nation that he would soon 'address the nation' on his removal. He did not, however, give a specific date for his address.
But some party officials who spoke to the Nation off the record described Mr Malala as a divisive figure who even fell out with his colleagues on the NEC. He is also accused of causing a split within the secretariat by hiring new staff and sidelining those he found when he joined the party.
On Friday, Mr Malala left the office with some of the staff he had hired irregularly when he took over.
Mr Malala's goose was cooked on Wednesday July 31 when thugs believed to be allied to him stormed the party headquarters and attacked lawyer Joe Khalende, who had declared himself the party's secretary-general. His perceived close ties to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua are said to have escalated his troubles in the ruling party.
His troubles in the party escalated when he led some leaders to convene a 'people's assembly' in Kakamega, where he made statements that were seen as insubordinate and against President William Ruto's commitment to form a broad-based government as a way out of the political storm created by the protesting youth.
At the event, which was also attended by Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa, Mr Malala took a swipe at Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula for failing to secure 30 per cent of government appointments.
"We want Mudavadi and Wetang'ula to tell the people what happened to their share of government. They live in Nairobi and the people we live with here are always asking us questions that we cannot answer," said Mr Malala.
Read: UDA supporters allied to Cleophas Malala storm party headquarters in Nairobi
The Nation has established that Mr Malala made the remarks after he was allegedly sidelined in the naming of the broad-based cabinet. Sources indicated that Mr Malala had expected to be named as Cabinet Secretary for Sport, replacing former CS Ababu Namwamba. However, the position went to Mr Kipchumba Murkomen.
"He cooked his own goose. He was not smart enough to continue disparaging Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang'ula. He was basically fighting the president," said Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa.
Mr Malala had on Thursday, August 1, filed an application at the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) seeking to stop the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for Friday.
"Pending the hearing and determination of the application, this Honourable Tribunal hereby makes an interim order restraining the 1st and 2nd respondents from holding and/or proceeding with the NEC meeting on Friday August 2, 2024," reads the order by Political Parties Disputes Tribunal chairperson Desma Nungo.
The petition named UDA leader Cecily Mbarire and the party as first and second respondents. The case will be heard on Tuesday August 13.
According to sources close to the developments, UDA Chairperson Cecily Mbarire summoned members to a 7am NEC meeting at party headquarters just before dawn.
During the meeting, members were angered by Mr Malala's behaviour.
"What was of interest was the conduct of the former secretary general Cleopas Malala. He has been scouting for new formations, which means he is undermining the party. He was also accused of taking sides and joining those who are undermining the party leader," said a source who attended the meeting.
The new secretary general, Mr Omar, said on Friday that his first task at the helm would be to complete the grassroots elections for leaders and coordinate with the cabinet secretaries after they are sworn in next week.
"I believe we must restore the honour and dignity of the party. I will not walk around aimlessly. We are asking MPs and other elected leaders to support us in this enormous task. MPs have a role to play and we want to ensure that they are more involved in the party's activities to popularise it. I will involve all the structures of the party. The party is not an individual. Our task will be to plan how to follow developments in the future. We will have a new beginning in the party," said Mr Omar.
Mr Malala, a man with a razor-sharp tongue, was brought into UDA in March 2023 by President Ruto from Mr Mudavadi's Amani National Congress (ANC), on whose ticket he unsuccessfully contested the Kakamega governorship.
Even in his former party, the ANC, Mr Malala had a troubled stay with party officials. He survived expulsion through a long and tortuous legal process after falling out with Mr Mudavadi. He is always courting controversy, as in his other life as a playwright and director.
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But his entry into the UDA unsettled some of Kenya Kwanza's partners, particularly the ANC and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula's Ford Kenya, as he became pushy in calling for them to fold. He went so far as to call them village parties.
"I resigned from the ANC because I wanted to show my ANC people the way. I wanted to show them leadership. Like John the Baptist, I came to prepare the way for them. They will eventually come to this merger and know that they can easily be accommodated. I resigned to join the UDA to give the ANC the confidence that it is not a bad idea to have a strong party," he told the Nation in an earlier interview.
UDA Organising Secretary Vincent Musau, a member of the NEC, described Mr Malala as a chaotic character who could not lead a serious political party.
He said Mr Malala had fallen out with almost everyone in the party by trying to undermine existing party structures.
"In terms of teamwork, Malala is not a team player. He wanted to be everything in the party. He is at odds with all the officials and staff.
It was long overdue. Everyone was tired of him. He cannot manage anything. He is always controversial and full of himself," said Mr Musua, the Mwala MP.
"He doesn't respect authority. We would sit as the NEC and make decisions, but he would want to frustrate those decisions. He hired staff in total defiance of a decision taken by the party's NEC," he said.
