Chaos Hit UDA Headquarters as Cleophas Malala is Temporarily Removed as Secretary General
Key takeaways
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- The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party headquarters along Ngong Road has turned into a battlefield between opposing factions in the party.
- Confusion erupted early Tuesday when lawyer Joe Khalende stormed into the party’s headquarters and declared himself the new Secretary General.
- Khalende’s move has been seen by many as a hostile takeover of the ruling party, which sponsored President Ruto to power in 2022.
- The besieged Secretary General Cleophas Malala’s supporters also stormed the UDA head office Wednesday morning in retaliation.
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Inside Joe Khalende’s bloodless civilian coup in the UDA party
Kenyan advocate Joe Khalende shocked many when he boldly occupied UDA party headquarters and installed himself as Secretary General.
Marching under the ‘Founding Members of UDA’ banner, Mr. Khalende dramatically removed Malala from his seat supposedly to reclaim the party from collapse.
According to Mr. Khalende, Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala has failed miserably in fostering the growth of the party.
“I Joe Khalende will be taking over as the new secretary general of the UDA party. He (Malala) is supporting agendas that go against our party. Going forward, anyone who will do business with one Cleophas Malala, he will be doing business on his own. Not as the Secretary General of UDA,” said Khalende in his statement to the media.
Khalende, who is a self-proclaimed chairperson of the ‘Founding Members of UDA’ accused Malala of sabotaging the president by joining the Tawe movement started by TransNzoia Governor George Natembeya.
Instead of being at the forefront of UDA’s grassroots recruitment of members, Mr. Malala has recently been seen as heavily involved in the radical Tawe Movement that calls for a new order in the country’s governance.
According to Khalende, Malala has also failed in his other duties including the contentious UDA Party grassroots elections.
Joe Khalende injured in Malala’s counter-offensive
Joe Khalende’s hostile takeover was greeted with brute force by a section of Malala’s supporters who stormed the party headquarters to restore.
Violence erupted inside the premises leaving the Khalende with a deep cut on his head.
Police swiftly swung into action and order was soon restored.
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UDA calls NEC meeting to resolve differences
UDA’s national chairman Governor Cecily Mbarire arrived at the party headquarters in the aftermath of the chaos.
In a statement, the Governor of Embu said that the party has clear structures and its leadership did not support what had happened.
Mbarire announced an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) on Friday.
“We wish to announce that we will have an emergency NEC meeting on Friday to resolve the matters that have emerged in the party. I wish to assure all our members that as the NEC we shall make sure we resolve all the matters in a fair and best way possible.” Said Mbarire in her statement.
