Infighting has rocked President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance, with a section of party members now turning their anger against secretary general Cleophas Malala.

The tussle is likely to intensify ahead of the party’s grassroots elections in April.

Political bigwigs in UDA, the biggest political outfit Kenya currently, are scheming to take charge of the party's structures at the grassroots. 

While most leaders in the ruling outfit are grumbling quietly, former nominated Senator  Millicent Omanga has openly unleashed a scathing attack on Malala.

Omanga, a close ally of the President, has accused the secretary general of incompetence and running down the party. She accused Malala of practising "high-voltage nepotism" in UDA recruitment.

According to the former senator, the secretary general has abandoned hustlers who "watered the rise of the party with their sweat" and sacrifice and, instead, flooded UDA with his relatives and acquaintances.

“Allegations against UDA secretary general Cleo Malala as appertains incompetence and nepotism in appointments to leadership positions in the ruling party are unfortunate but not surprising,” Omanga fired at Malala, a former Kakamega senator.

“It has come a time that we must call a spade a spade and make the office of the SG work. We won’t allow our party to be run by an individual who doesn’t carry H.E President William Ruto’s vision.

“All party members who fought for the party must get their fair share in the management of the party or the chips will fall; and the time is now.”

The rebellion, according to insiders, is fuelled by the discontent from traditional supporters of the President and the party who feel that they are being bypassed by newcomers in the management of UDA.

A member of the secretariat who spoke to the Star in confidence painted a picture of a one-man show and disgruntled staff.

“Almost every month he (Malala) is bringing his relatives, can you imagine that just a political party has more than 30 managers and, because of protests from members, their titles changed to ‘directors’, some ‘personal advisers’,” the source said in confidence.

According to the source, one of the people hired in Malala’s office was even an Azimio parliamentary aspirant in one of the Nairobi seats during the last election.

The source singled out Arnold Maliba who was hired as strategic communication adviser in the executive office of the secretary general.

He unsuccessfully contested Dagoretti North parliamentary seat on Azimio/ DAP-K ticket.

Malala did not pick our calls or respond to our inquiries of the alleged claims of nepotism in the recruitment of UDA staff.

This is not the first time close Ruto allies have questioned the operations in the party.

In October last year Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa asked the UDA national executive council to dismiss Malala on claims he is "an ODM mole".

According to Barasa, the former senator had shown disrespect to National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangu'la and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi by holding a series of meetings in western Kenya aimed at inciting the people against the two.

“By weakening the leaders from western Kenya, he is basically laying the ground for ODM to thrive in 2027 election,” the MP said. 

The ‘mistrust’, especially how the party is being run, according to our source, was among the reasons for the postponement of the last year’s grassroots elections.

The same party secretariat is relied upon to deliver the elections.

Speaking to the Star on Tuesday, Barasa admits to the existence of teething problems in the party but was quick to indicate that the political outfit will surmount the challenges.

“Once you see somebody like Omanga and very many other people saying there is a problem here, it means there is a problem, we will sort it out."

Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe, however, came to the defence of the embattled secretary general, saying the nepotism claim is a fallacy.

“Just let the party run its affairs. Why are we not talking about nepotism in the membership of the party? Why is it there are two major tribes in the party? Let us stop pretence and let the party proceed with its activities,” he said.