A video has emerged showing Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala accusing Deputy President William Ruto of frustrating the efforts by Western Kenya leaders to secure the 70 per cent vote for the UDA presidential candidate in the region.
Malala, who was speaking during a rally in Mwikalli village, Kakamega County, on Sunday, May 15, claimed that UDA was blackmailing politicians from partner parties in the Kenya Kwanza coalition to only support candidates from Ruto's party.
The Senator stated that unless ANC and Ford Kenya were given a free hand to campaign on the ground, they would be unable to get the 70 per cent of the popular vote in Ruto's favour.
He particularly questioned why he was being castigated for campaigning for ANC candidates yet other Kenya Kwanza politicians including former senator Boni Khalwale had endorsed aspirants of their choice.
"We have already given UDA the top two positions. But please, Mheshimiwa Ruto, do not interfere with our bedroom because these seats mean a lot to us.
"Let us respect each other because, after the election, Ruto will stand aside with his numbers and so will Mudavadi. We do not want them to start saying they will not give us our share of the government because we failed to get 70 per cent in Western. We cannot get that 70 per cent if we do not have our own MPs," the Senator stated.
The outspoken senator further called on members of the ANC to field candidates in all other elective positions in the county. He argued that it would give the party and its leader, Musalia Mudavadi bargaining power in the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
"I want to plead with my party ANC, if we are not careful, then we will be fixed. If we do not go to the ground in search of votes field candidates.
"If not, we will be told in the near future that even in Mudavadi's Sabatia, the MP will have to come from UDA. They will look down upon us and thus there is a need to talk about these concerns in broad daylight," the Kakamega gubernatorial candidate stated.
Efforts by Kenyans.co.ke to get a clarification on whether the matter had been resolved were futile as our text messages to Malala went unanswered.
Political zoning, which previously rocked the Azimio One Kenya coalition party, crept its way to Kenya Kwanza. On May 17, Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa protested what she termed the conversion of Kilifi County into a Pamoja Africa Alliance (PAA) block.
She claimed that the region would deliver a six-piece vote under UDA. Jumwa further opposed the decision to appoint Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi to lead Kenya Kwanza's campaigns in the coast region, asking him to undergo social cleansing.
"We note with great concern that his bad record as county chief will affect the popularity of UDA in the county. In order to consolidate DP Ruto's votes in Kilifi, we ask him to start making inroads in Kilifi while sanitising himself," the vocal MP stated.
