UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malala with his supporters outside the United Democratic Alliance party headquarters on July 31, 2024.
President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) will on Friday, August 2, hold a crisis National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that could seal the fate of its embattled Secretary-General Cleophas Malala.
The meeting follows a political standoff at Hustler Centre pitting Mr Malala’s supporters and those who staged his purported ‘ouster’.
The ruling party has in the last two days witnessed chaotic scenes in what appears like a well-orchestrated plot to kick out Mr Malala, who has been under siege in the party for months now.
Informally, some party officials say he is a marked man and could be on his way out from his swanky office at the Hustler Plaza on Ngong Road.
Some say he was due to be kicked out of the party last month, but nationwide protests by the youth distracted the party leadership from carrying out the sacking.
His perceived close ties with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua are said to have escalated his woes in the ruling outfit. Dr Ruto and Mr Gachagua are in an aggressive falling-out.
Read: Kenya Kwanza implosion as Malala calls on Kuria, Murkomen to resign over attack on DP Gachagua
On Tuesday, Mr Joe Khalende declared himself the party secretary-general and announced that Mr Malala had been barred from carrying out any UDA functions. Mr Malala was also accused of sabotaging the broad-based government initiative announced by President Ruto.
The standoff escalated on Wednesday, July 31, as Mr Malala’s supporters stormed the party headquarters over his purported ouster.
During the standoff, which lasted several hours, Mr Khalende, who had declared himself the new secretary-general, was injured after being attacked by goons.
He had arrived at the party offices to take over before a group of goons beat and kicked him. He was later rescued by police officers guarding the premises.
Anti-riot police officers dispersed the protesters who wanted to gain forceful entry into the party offices.
UDA Chairperson Cecily Mbarire later addressed a brief press conference condemning the incident and the utterances of Mr Khalende.
United Democratic Alliance Chairperson Cecily Mbarire (centre) addresses the media at the party's headquarters in Nairobi on July 31, 2024
“We want to say that what happened was unfortunate. We have a constitution that was put in place by the party members and it should be followed. You cannot come and declare yourself as an official without following the due process. We have organs and structures that should be followed,” Ms Mbarire said.
Sources in the party said that President Ruto could consider former Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba as a replacement for Mr Malala. Mr Namwamba previously served as ODM Secretary General.
Ms Mbarire also condemned the violence experienced at the party.
“We condemn the manner in which Mr Khalende was attacked by goons. We are very sorry for what happened to him and we will carry out investigations to establish those responsible for this. We convened an urgent meeting with the intention of giving our position,” she added.
Ms Mbarire also acknowledged the party had been experiencing challenges in the recent past and the scheduled meeting will help resolve the differences.
“We have noted the issues and the meeting on Friday will help us resolve the issues. We will ensure fairness as a party in our deliberations and afterwards announce the decisions that we have made,” she added. She was flanked by top party officials including Vice-Chairperson Hassan Omar, Treasurer Japhet Nyakundi and Mr Malala.
Mr Malala – a one-time Member of the County Assembly and former Kakamega Senator – has been having long-running trouble with some UDA members.
But the recent dramatic events, including his purported ouster and incidents during the party grassroots elections where his announcements on the exercise were disowned by other party officials, could be a pointer that he has lost favour with the party owners.
On Wednesday, Mr Malala dismissed those pushing for his ouster. He said the scheduled Friday meeting will deliberate on the recent development in the party.
“Let us wait for the Friday meeting called by the party chairman. What she (Ms Mbarire) said today remains the official position of the party pending the meeting,” said Mr Malala.
Asked why he was under siege, Mr Malala said he was not aware of party members who wanted him out.
Resignation
"Ignore propaganda. The party is stable and focused on helping President Ruto achieve his agenda for Kenya. Chama iko Imara," Mr Malala said in response to claims of his resignation.
The politician with a razor-sharp tongue was brought to UDA by President Ruto in March 2023 from Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), on whose ticket he unsuccessfully contested for Kakamega governorship.
Even at his former party ANC, Mr Malala had a troubled stay with party officials. He survived expulsion on the basis of a long and winding legal process after falling-out with Mr Mudavadi. He is always courting controversies just like in his other life of writing and directing plays.
When he joined UDA, Mr Malala hit the ground running with lofty ideas of a one-party dream for President Ruto with August deadlines to boot.
He also demanded to be co-opted in the Cabinet the same way former Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju was.
But his entry rattled some of the Kenya Kwanza affiliate partners, especially ANC and Ford Kenya of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, as he became pushy in calling for their folding. He went to the extent of calling them village political parties.
“I resigned from 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 be easily accommodated. I resigned to join the UDA to give the ANC the confidence that having one strong party is not a bad idea,” he told Nation in a previous interview.
On May 30, a frustrated Mr Malala shared a video lamenting how he had lost control of the UDA official Facebook page. He claimed the account had been hacked by an individual who is not a member of the UDA secretariat.
West Pokot elections
This was after his statement purporting to postpone West Pokot constituency elections was roundly dismissed by other party officials, which ordinarily would be answerable to him as the party spokesperson.
Mr Malala’s troubles started when some UDA leaders including Senate Majority Leader Boni Khalwale and Didmus Barasa (Kimilili MP) accused him of trying to interfere with the party elections. Senator Khalwale had petitioned the party to restrain Mr Malala from discharging the mandate of his office because of his interests in the party.
An alleged Sh200 million price for the procurement of election tablets is also said to have caused boardroom wars at the party. Dr Ruto is said to have stopped the procurement of 10,000 election tablets for Sh200 million.
Local supplier
Some top party officials are said to have settled on a local supplier who quoted $150 (Sh20,250) per unit. The figure was estimated at Sh25,000 based on the exchange rate at that time, inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT), according to officials.
In a previous interview with Nation, Mr Malala admitted that the initial supplier had quoted Sh25,000 per unit. Mr Malala said President Ruto himself later sourced the tablets from China at $75 (Sh10,125), half of the initial quotation.
“In Kenya, the tablets cost Sh25,000 per piece. When we scouted for the tablets, we thought we could get them locally, but suppliers made a quotation of about Sh22,000. It was coming to Sh25,000 when you include VAT. It was too expensive,” Mr Malala said.
“The boss (President) procured directly from a manufacturer in China. It was procured at $75 (Sh10,125),” he said.
