Newly appointed United Democratic Alliance (UDA) secretary general, Cleophas Malala, shared details of a high-profile meeting behind his appointment.
Malala caused a political stir when he decamped from Amani National Congress (ANC) on February 27 and joined UDA.
While appearing on NTV on March 6, the former senator revealed that Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi had a hand in the move.
“President William Ruto talked to Musalia about me joining UDA. Musalia then allowed me to switch,” he revealed.
Malala revealed that he could not have joined UDA if the talks between the President and the former ANC party leader had not been successful.
“Mudavadi is my political father and I could not have done it without his blessings,” he revealed of his close relationship with the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
On what Musalia told him, Malala stated that “He told me to go and support the President and make UDA stronger.”
The now top UDA brass further explained how he intended to make the ruling party formidable.
“We were elected so as to fulfil our manifesto. We can only achieve this if there is political stability which can be brought by having a single party in the Kenya Kwanza Coalition,” he explained.
Having many party leaders within the coalition made it hard for Ruto to deliver. With one party, service delivery would be enhanced by having only one commander.
In an earlier National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, Malala called out the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula to resign as Ford-Kenya party leader.
“Wetangula should resign as the leader of Ford Kenya and allow us to engage the next party leader on matters of dissolution.
“State officers are not allowed to be party leaders and that is why I am also engaging Lamu Governor Issa Timamy to dissolve ANC instead of Musalia Mudavadi,” he remarked on March 6.
Malala’s remarks were met with sharp criticism from Kenya Kwanza affiliated parties who vowed not to fold their parties to join UDA.
Timamy (ANC) and Kibwezi West Member of Parliament Mwengi Mutuse (Maendeleo Chap Chap) termed Malala’s statement as wishful thinking.
“These parties are as good as dissolved, it is just that they have not accepted that they are no longer politically viable,” Malala stated in a rejoinder.
