Rigathi Gachagua Slams UDA for Sacking Malala at 5am: "No One Consulted Me"

Nairobi - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has openly criticized the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) for their decision to remove Cleophas Malala from his position as secretary general.

The manner and timing of this decision have highlighted significant internal conflicts within the party's leadership.

On Sunday, August 4, Gachagua expressed his disappointment, noting that he was not consulted about the decision to oust Malala. 

The National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, where this decision was made, was held at an unusually early hour of 5 am, catching many by surprise.

Gachagua mentioned that he had planned to attend the meeting but was informed at 6 am that it had already concluded and the decision had been finalized.

“No one consulted me on the ouster of Cleophas Malala. They evicted him at 5 am. That is not how a ruling party should be behaving. As a party deputy leader, I wanted to attend but by 6 am I was told by my people that the meeting was over,” Gachagua said. 

Malala, who previously served as the senator for Kakamega, was unexpectedly removed from his role as secretary general. This sudden move has led to criticism from Gachagua, who believes that such important decisions should involve broader consultations and not be made in a hasty or secretive manner. 

The Deputy President's remarks suggest that the proper protocols were not followed, and key party leaders, including himself, were not adequately informed or involved in the decision-making process.

The sudden ouster of Malala is just one of the recent events causing tension within UDA. Gachagua has also expressed his reservations about President William Ruto's recent political strategies, particularly his decision to collaborate with Raila Odinga, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Gachagua cautioned that if this alliance brought any issues to the government, Ruto would be held accountable.

During a recent interview on vernacular radio stations in the Mt. Kenya region, Gachagua commented on the potential risks of this political alliance.

“Even if Raila comes and becomes a menace to us, we cannot question him because he did not bring himself to government,” Gachagua stated. 

He further added, “In the event anything bad happens from Raila coming into government and the people of Mt. Kenya are not happy, we will question President William Ruto because he is the one who has brought Raila in.”