By Collins Wanzallah
Former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala, currently embroiled in a leadership tussle within the ruling party, has been extended an invitation to join the Roots Party by its leader, Professor George Wajackoyah. Wajackoyah, who hails from the same Mulembe (peace) nation and Kakamega County as Malala, assured him of a more welcoming environment within the Roots Party.
Wajackoyah expressed his dismay at Malala’s ouster from UDA, a party he had vigorously supported, and extended an olive branch to him. “Being a youthful man with great energy, he should come and help me with other youngsters in the party, as well as some elderly people, to popularize our party as we keep our eyes on the 2027 general election,” Wajackoyah emphasized.
Malala has faced challenges within UDA since his violent removal by fellow tribesman, lawyer John Khalende, and the subsequent endorsement of EALA lawmaker Hassan Omari as the party’s acting secretary general. Malala has taken his case to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) to challenge his ouster and has accused UDA Chairperson and Embu Governor Cecil Mbarire, along with National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, of orchestrating his removal.
Addressing the press in Nairobi on Thursday, Malala claimed that the two leaders targeted him because they perceived him as a close ally of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. He believes his opposition to a plot to impeach Gachagua led to his downfall within UDA. “After realizing that I was against a move to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, they organized for my removal as UDA Secretary General, but I won’t accept this,” Malala stated.
As a former Kakamega Senator and gubernatorial candidate, Malala now risks losing privileges he enjoyed as the ruling party’s Secretary General, including state-provided bodyguards and a seat in cabinet meetings as an ex-officio member, where he was involved in overseeing the implementation of the Kenya Kwanza government’s manifesto.