Cleophas Malala Withdraws Lawsuit Against UDA Chairperson Cecily Mbarire, Focus Shifts to Another Case
Former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Cleophas Malala on Friday withdrew a legal case against party Chairperson Cecily Mbarire.
In an exclusive with Kenyans.co.ke, Malala’s lead counsel Ndegwa Njiru confirmed that the former Kakamega Senator retracted the case from the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal to prioritize a similar, ongoing lawsuit.
Ndegwa Njiru also dismissed claims suggesting that the court directed Malala to compensate Mbarire for withdrawing the suit, calling the rumors baseless.
“We have another related case in court, so it made sense to drop this one and focus our attention there,” Njiru explained.
“Disregard any reports claiming we’ve been ordered to pay damages; such claims are unfounded,” Njiru emphasized.
Malala’s petition, filed on August 2, challenged Mbarire’s decision to convene a party meeting aimed at ousting him, arguing that the move breached UDA’s internal procedures.
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The former Secretary General also asserted in his petition that Mbarire was only an acting official and not the legitimate holder of her position.
Malala consequently sought a court injunction to prevent the National Executive Committee (NEC) from holding any discussions or making resolutions to remove him from office.
“The court should impose a temporary order preventing the NEC from ousting me or disrupting my role as Secretary General until a final ruling is made,” Malala’s court documents stated.
Despite seeking court intervention, UDA proceeded to terminate Malala’s role as Secretary General, appointing Hassan Omar Hassan, the former Vice Chairperson, as his replacement.
“The appointment of Hon. Cleophas Malala as interim Secretary-General is hereby rescinded, effective immediately,” read a section of UDA’s official statement.
According to UDA, the decision followed extensive consultations in light of Malala’s ongoing conflict with party founder Joe Khalende.
Cleophas Malala Withdraws Lawsuit Against UDA Chairperson Cecily Mbarire, Focus Shifts to Another Case