Unshackled Cleophas Malala ready to serve bitter tea to foes

Cleophas Malala
Photo credit: John Nyaga | Nation Media Group

Controversial, vocal and indefatigable; Cleophas Malala is back. And this time the rabble-rouser is itching to spill the beans.

Move over Mike Sonko and Edgar Obare, a protege is in the building and this one means business. For the former Kakamega senator, every time is tea time.

However, due to the high sugar prices, he is serving his bitter. If you doubt me, ask Ayub Savula.

The Kakamega deputy governor was the recipient of Malala’s bitter tea last week during a burial in Western.

Telling Mr Savula to “kasikie vibaya huko”, he pulled a Sonko on him revealing details of a private phone call they had.

Spoiling for a fight, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) secretary-general disclosed that Savula had called him to connect him to President William Ruto to request him to join the government in the next elections.

Talk of pwagu kupata pwaguzi, the always cunning Savula had no comeback but to silently eat a humble pie as the former MCA cut him down to size kipoole.

“You did not mention anything about taxation. If you humiliate the president, we will do the same. I will call you out by names,” he said.

In a move similar to Sonko’s, Malala threatened to reveal more double-faced Azimio politicians who criticise the president over the mandatory three per cent housing levy in rallies but in private troop to State House to beg for favours.

“The truth of the matter is that when you go to State House, all of you don't confront William Ruto about this matter (housing levy). You say these things only at gatherings and burials,” said the 37-year-old.

But this is Malala in his element.

The youthful politician suffers no fools. After being named UDA secretary-general, he hit the ground running ruffling feathers with his unpopular call to have smaller parties within Kenya Kwanza fold and join UDA, the president’s party.

Revelling in the resulting pandemonium, the thespian was busy brewing another conflict in his book of controversy.

Mr Malala went on stirring more controversy warning politicians who troop to State House to meet President Ruto without any serious agenda to concentrate on promoting UDA at the grassroots.

As if that was not enough, he took on Azimio leader Raila Odinga in his Nyanza political bedrock by selling UDA in the area. But like a man shaking his buttocks thinking he is shaking a Mugumo tree, the onslaught failed terribly.

Controversy has, nonetheless, been Malala’s cup of tea. He rose to fame through his controversial play ‘Shackles of Doom’ that he wrote for Butere Girls in 2013.

So controversial was the play that the Ministry of Education banned it.

In 2022, he was caught on camera ridiculing police officers, saying one does not need any educational qualifications to hold a gun and the job should be left to school dropouts.

In 2019, he threw jibes at Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale for being too ambitious by failing to defend his senatorial seat and contesting for Kakamega gubernatorial seat leading to his downfall.

As fate would have it, he suffered the same fate in 2022. Talk of nyani haoni kundule. He was humbled by Fernandes Barasa and Savula ticket.

In 2020, the playwright grabbed headlines in a dramatic manner by shedding tears during a Senate committee meeting claiming his life was in danger as someone wanted to assassinate him.

“Nobody is willing to give me security Mr Chair. It is sad for me to walk around the streets of Kakamega and Kenya knowing that I’m going to die the next day.”

He is still alive though and we will never know if he was just rehearsing a line in his many plays.

Too ambitious, the UDA SG’s meteoric rise in politics can only be likened to the story of Simon Makonde. He rose from being a little-known MCA to a powerful senator and now UDA SG.

His fierce ambition has also seen him change parties like a rogue matatu driver in Nairobi changing lanes. He started in ODM before jumping ship to ANC then to UDA.