Former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Cleophas Malala has revealed that his ouster from the ruling party stemmed from his attempts to hold President William Ruto accountable to the promises made during the 2022 General Election campaigns.
Malala claimed that while serving as Secretary General, he took the initiative to compile all pledges made by the president and the party into a single document, intending to track their progress. However, he says this move was met with resistance from within the party leadership.
“When I was Secretary General of UDA, I tried to bring all the matters and issues that we promised and compiled them into a single document. But it became impossible for the leadership to actualise what they had promised. When we tried to raise pertinent issues, we were seen as moles,” Malala stated.
He explained that efforts to remind the party leadership—and the president—of the original philosophy of uplifting people at the bottom of the economic pyramid were misinterpreted as acts of disloyalty.
“When we listed the philosophy of our party to bring people from the low social pyramid and tried to remind the leader (President Ruto) that this was your guiding principle, he saw us as people who had lost hope in him, and that is when they decided to kick me out,” he added.
Malala, who now serves as the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) deputy party leader, further stated that, in hindsight, his removal from UDA turned out to be a positive development for his political career and personal values. “I have never regretted leaving UDA. It was a blessing in disguise. I would have sunk with the entire ship,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing internal dissent in Kenya Kwanza’s political circles, with critics accusing the government of drifting away from its founding promises, particularly around economic empowerment and inclusivity.
Malala was ousted as UDA Secretary General during a National Executive Council meeting presided over by the party’s National Chairperson, Cecily Mbarire, in August 2024.
“The appointment of Cleophas Malala as the interim Secretary General is hereby revoked. These changes are effective immediately,” the party said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the former senator also launched a scathing attack on the Parliament, terming it the most confused since the country gained its independence. He decried a lack of direction from the presidency and a parliament that he claimed has been disoriented.
“We are in a messed-up country that cannot be defined or pinned down, where we are at the moment. When it comes to legislation, we have the most confused parliament since independence. We do not know who is the majority and who is the minority, who is the government and who is the opposition. The entire system is all in confusion!” he pointed out.
Malala’s remarks come a month after he called for the dissolution of the government following a ruling that quashed the panel that delivered an impeachment ruling of his party leader and ally, Rigathi Gachagua.
