By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Reactions continue to trail a press statement issued by UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala hitting out at some of the elected Kenya Kwanza members.
Malala, in a statement issued on Thursday, threatened disciplinary actions against several politicians elected on a Kenya Kwanza ticket.
They included MPs Oscar Sudi of Kapseret and Githunguri’s Gathoni Wamuchomba.
Sudi has already responded harshly to the former Kakamega Senator.
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga is another politician mentioned by the UDA SG.
But in his response, Kahiga insisted that respect for the Deputy President is not negotiable.
The county boss a few weeks ago warned against any attempts to undermine the second in command. It is a statement believed to have been of reference in Malala’s post.
However, he maintains he did not say anything that risks causing disunity in UDA or Kenya Kwanza.
“I have reviewed my statement in Endarasha the other day,many times and given the same circumstances, I would say exactly what I said then and say it in the same way,” the county boss, considered a key ally of DP Rigathi Gachagua said in a statement on X.
He also insisted that the DP must be respected.
Kahiga also pointed out that the latest statement from Malala is yet another indication that he is not fit to lead the national party.
“I have seen the Malala Press Statement. In response I say 1. The Deputy President & Deputy party leader Must be respected,” the Nyeri Governor said.
“Ag SG Malala in UDA is like a square peg in a round hole. He doesn’t fit. I have said it before and I repeat, We must get rid of him in the coming UDA elections.,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kahiga said the country has come from an era of people being gagged and threatened for speaking their minds.
He also noted that the UDA Party was never built on such tenets “and the earlier our ANC acting SG in UDA understood that, the better for him.”