Turmoil Erupts in UDA Party Elections as Malala Clashes With Election Board
President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) elections slated for Friday face confusion tonight due to conflicting postponement plans.
UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala declared the postponement of constituency-level elections in West Pokot County.
However, UDA National Elections Board (NEB) head Anthony Mwaura promptly dismissed this announcement.
Mwaura affirmed that elections would proceed as initially planned in Nairobi, West Pokot, Narok, Busia, and Homa Bay counties.
He accused Mr. Malala of trying to seize control of the board’s powers, referencing a ruling from the Political Parties and Disputes Tribunal that barred Mr. Malala from participating in party elections.
Mr. Mwaura pointed to a notice from the acting Secretary General, which aimed to delay the ongoing elections in West Pokot County. He emphasized Article 21 of the UDA constitution, which establishes the National Elections Board as an independent body that must operate free from influence from any individual or party organ.
As a result, Mr. Mwaura stated that any notice attempting to address election matters is illegal, lacking justification, and thus invalid. He declared that the UDA party will proceed with all Constituency level elections as planned for May 31, 2024, according to the earlier announcement.
Mr. Malala postponed the constituency elections, citing a decision by the party’s Electoral and Nomination Disputes Resolution Committee (ENDRC).
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He stated that the postponement was in line with the UDA Party constitution and aimed to uphold the integrity of the party’s structures. The new date for the affected constituency elections will be communicated by the National Elections Board.
However, Adrian Kamotho, the Vice Chairperson of ENDRC, contradicted Mr. Malala’s assertion. He claimed that the ruling Mr. Malala referenced was fraudulent and not issued by the committee.
Mr. Kamotho clarified that a public notice from the acting Secretary General of the UDA party, supposedly referring to an ENDRC order, was false. He emphasized that the mentioned order was fabricated and not endorsed by ENDRC.
Mr Malala has conflicted with the elections board, with rumors swirling about attempts to interfere with the elections.
Before the December elections were delayed, a petition was lodged with the party’s Dispute Resolution Committee by Senate Majority Leader Boni Khalwale and another petitioner. They sought to prevent Mr Malala from carrying out his duties, alleging plans to manipulate the process.
The petition expressed concerns that Mr Malala might exploit his position to benefit himself at the expense of the petitioners and other party members.
Mr Mwaura, who also chairs the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) board, was appointed to lead the election team due to complaints against Mr Malala. These complaints accused him of overstepping his authority and attempting to assume the powers of the elections board.
Turmoil Erupts in UDA Party Elections as Malala Clashes With Election Board