Porojo! Malala dismisses reports of fallout with Gachagua

Democracy for the Citizens' Party (DCP) Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala has dismissed reports of a rift with party leader Rigathi Gachagua, insisting the two remain united.

Speaking at a funeral in Ikolomani, Kakamega County, Malala said the rumours were being fueled by the government in an effort to weaken the opposition ahead of the next election.

"This government knows it is going home and it has sponsored propaganda indicating that Rigathi Gachagua and Cleophas Malala are not in talking terms," Malala said.

"I want to tell the people behind the propaganda that we are united very much."

He added that any claims of division within the party were designed to fracture the opposition and create an easy path for the ruling camp when elections come.

"They want the United Opposition to be divided so that they have an easy way when elections come," he said. "I want to say here, I have no problem with my party leader and I am the deputy party leader of DCP. We are together as a party."

Malala's remarks come amid rising questions inside DCP following his conspicuous absence from several high-profile political engagements involving Gachagua.

His silence had sparked speculation that all was not well between him and the former deputy president, especially after Nyandarua Senator John Methu increasingly emerged as the party's chief public voice.

The concerns have grown in recent weeks as Gachagua has leaned more heavily on Methu to communicate the party's positions and respond to national issues.

This shift has placed the first-term senator at the centre of DCP's day-to-day public messaging, even though Malala holds one of the most senior positions in the party hierarchy.

Observers have pointed to what appears to be a widening pattern in which senior DCP leaders address the media without Malala's presence, fueling speculation that internal disagreements may be emerging within the party as it tries to establish itself as a serious opposition force ahead of the 2027 General Election.

But Malala sought to brush aside the talk, saying his loyalty to the party and its leadership remains intact.

He maintained that he is firmly behind Gachagua and that there is no personal or political fallout between them.

His remarks also came just days before Monday's expected verdict in Gachagua's impeachment case, a development that has attracted intense political interest across the country. Malala urged supporters to pray for the former deputy president as they await the ruling. 

"We want to pray well for Gachagua," he said.

Beyond the internal opposition dynamics, Malala used the funeral platform to attack President William Ruto's administration, accusing it of failing residents of Kakamega and neglecting development priorities in the region.