Ex-UDA Secretary General Malala Accuses Senior Officials of Plotting to Impeach Deputy President Gachagua

Former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Cleopas Malala has accused top party officials of masterminding a plot to oust Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Malala, who was recently removed from his position, made these explosive allegations during a press briefing on Thursday, less than two weeks after his abrupt ousting.

Malala pointed fingers at Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wa and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, claiming that they orchestrated his removal as a prelude to their ultimate goal—impeaching the Deputy President.

“This coup was plotted and orchestrated by two senior party officials, Mrs. Cecily Mbarire and Mr. Kimani Ichung'wa, alongside others within the party secretariat,” Malala stated. “My ouster had nothing to do with incompetence or my ability to manage the UDA party but was a well-choreographed script intended to culminate in the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.”

The former Kakamega Senator, known for his outspoken nature, argued that his close working relationship with the Deputy President made him a target. He claimed that Ichung'wa and Mbarire, frustrated by their failed attempts to turn him against Gachagua, labeled him as an obstacle to their ambitions.

“My inevitable and close working relationship with the Deputy President, who is also the UDA Deputy Party Leader, irked them. When their efforts to set me against him failed, I was profiled as an obstacle to their conspiracy to impeach Rigathi Gachagua,” he explained.

File photo of Former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Cleopas Malala

According to Malala, the duo's motivation for Gachagua’s impeachment was to position themselves strategically in the Mt. Kenya region ahead of the 2027 and 2032 elections. He dismissed claims that President William Ruto or opposition members were behind the impeachment plot, insisting that it was purely driven by local political calculations.

“Let it be known that the planned impeachment of the Deputy President had nothing to do with President William Ruto, the broad-based government, or any other narrative advanced by the coup plotters,” Malala emphasized. “The impeachment was solely about egocentric 2027 and 2032 politics in the Mt. Kenya region, driven by Mrs. Cecily Mbarire and Mr. Kimani Ichung'wa, who want our Deputy President out to position themselves within the emerging political realignments.”

Malala also accused his immediate successor, Hassan Omar, of being an accomplice in the alleged coup, noting that Omar’s swift installation was unlawful. He reiterated that his removal was illegal and violated the party’s constitution.

“My removal as UDA Secretary General was outright unlawful, unfair, and a blatant violation of the party constitution and due process. No charges were brought against me, either in public or in private, to justify my removal. I was neither given the opportunity to defend myself as required by law and the rules of natural justice,” Malala asserted.

He further alleged that signatures belonging to both the Deputy President and himself were forged in an attempt to access the party’s bank accounts, revealing that he has compiled a dossier of 18 accusations against the pair, with more disclosures promised in the future.

“I will be disclosing the other 17 issues against them in due course, including documentary evidence of efforts to defraud the party and forge signatures to access the party’s bank accounts,” he warned. “My next disclosure will reveal attempts by the coup plotters to intentionally run down and kill the UDA party by stalling key activities meant to popularize and expand the party.”

As the political drama within the UDA unfolds, all eyes will be on Malala’s promised disclosures, which could further shake the party’s foundations.