Nairobi: Supporters of embattled UDA secretary general Cleophas Malala camped at the ruling party’s headquarters on Wednesday, July 31, affirming his position.
How police prevented chaos at UDA offices
This was a day after Malala was kicked out of the position by a faction purported to be made up of UDA founder members.
Armed with placards, the youth chanted pro-Malala slogans, asserting that all would not be well in the party should the embattled secretary general be shown the door.
Anti-riot police were deployed at the offices along Ngong Road to quell any form of violence.
The law enforcers blocked the entry to the party premises forcing the youth wielding placards to shout outside the locked gate.
Inside the party premises, the self-appointed secretary general Joe Khalende sustained a cut on the forehead.
The circumstances in which he was injured could not be established immediately given that the ululating youth were not allowed into the headquarters.
A wing led by Khalende stormed the party offices on Tuesday and announced Malala’s ouster from the secretary general post.
Why Cleophas Malala is embattled
They accused Malala of sabotaging the government agenda despite being at the helm of a ruling party and overseeing sham grassroots elections.
The faction further faulted Malala for his wilful political undertakings, including uniting with Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya and other Western Kenya leaders to dissent from Ruto’s new resolve of constituting a broad-based government that would incorporate players from the opposition.
They went ahead to declare the former Kakamega senator a persona non grata at the party headquarters and banned him from transacting any business on behalf of the party.
Malala became the UDA secretary general in February 2023, a year after flunking the Kakamega gubernatorial vote.
Malala’s troubled stint in UDA
He took over from Betty Maina, who was nominated to the Senate.
His stint would, however, face opposition from party members who seemed to disregard his rule.
Outspoken Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga led the wayward UDA members who argued that Malala was not substantively installed as the party’s secretary general; he, therefore, did not have the capacity to sanction critical commands.
A petition to remove him from the position was filed in June this year.
Malala is currently aligned with the Natembeya-led Tawe Movement which seeks to embolden Western Kenya to enhance its chances of having a say in national politics.
