Cleophas Malala Reveals Political Deal He Hopes to Secure Between Gachagua and Edwin Sifuna

Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) deputy party leader Cleophas Malala has proposed an unconventional political strategy to help Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna secure the presidency in 2027.

Malala believes Sifuna’s presidential ambitions could become realistic if he builds strong political alliances, particularly with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and the Mt. Kenya region.

Speaking on Saturday, October 24, the former Kakamega senator said Sifuna must dedicate considerable time to engaging residents across Mt. Kenya to secure their support.

He argued that the region’s voting strength makes it an important battleground that no serious presidential candidate can afford to ignore ahead of the next general election.

According to Malala, Sifuna needs to establish a strong grassroots presence in the region rather than relying exclusively on his existing political support.

“If you want our brother Edwin Sifuna to become the president of the Republic of Kenya, then he must go and spend time in the Mt. Kenya region and work closely with the people there so that we can get the numbers needed to enter State House,” Malala stated.

The DCP deputy party leader also disclosed that his position within Gachagua’s party was partly motivated by his desire to influence the former deputy president’s political decisions.

Malala explained that he accepted the deputy leadership position to create an opportunity to persuade Gachagua to support Sifuna’s presidential ambitions.

He believes such an alliance could significantly strengthen Sifuna’s electoral numbers by bringing together supporters from different political regions.

“I said I will be DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua’s deputy. My job there is to persuade him to support our son, to hold his hand,” Malala explained.

He further claimed that Gachagua’s political influence could deliver approximately eight million votes to Sifuna’s presidential campaign.

Malala expressed confidence that securing such support would significantly improve the senator’s chances of winning the 2027 presidential election.

However, his proposal would require considerable political negotiations, particularly given the different interests and ambitions of leaders within Kenya’s opposition political landscape.

The former senator also cautioned against building political parties around narrow ethnic or regional interests, arguing that such arrangements could limit their national influence.

Using Ford Kenya as an example, Malala criticised what he described as the party’s concentration of leadership among members of the Bukusu community.

He argued that this approach had restricted the party’s national political growth and affected its leader, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.

“We cannot all keep repeating the same mistakes that Wetang’ula made. He formed Ford Kenya, and all its leaders came from Bukusu,” Malala said.

He added that political leaders seeking national influence must establish broader alliances that extend beyond their traditional support bases.

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