ANC boots Kakamega Senator Malala over ODM dalliance

Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala at a past press conference. ANC has suspended him from the party with immediate effect. [File, Standard]

Amani National Congress (ANC) party has begun cracking the whip on errant MPs who supported its competitors in the Kibra by-election.

The Musalia Mudavadi-led party on Friday suspended Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala citing gross misconduct.

According to ANC national disciplinary committee, Malala donning rival ODM’s cap drummed up support for the Orange party’s candidate against them during the Kibra parliamentary by-election.

Further, Malala is accused of making derogatory and offending remarks against ANC candidate Eliud Owalo.

“After careful reflection and deliberation, ANC has decided to take necessary disciplinary action against this member (Malala) on grounds that his conduct seriously offends not only ANC party laws but Statute laws as well,” Committee Chair Yare Mohammed said.

Mohammed noted, “The impugned remarks, which have been widely circulated on social media and are therefore in public domain, thoughtless and tragic, at best.”

He added that the committee had written to the senator and explained to him why they were suspending him.

In May, nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi got a reprieve when the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal issued conservatory orders suspending the decision by the same disciplinary committee to expel him from the party.

The party leadership has accused Osotsi of misusing the party's funds at the time he served as its Secretary-General ahead of the 2017 General Election.

Osotsi, who has been the expulsion twice, has termed Malala’s suspension has ‘a big joke of the year’.

“This is a juvenile, fraudulent, illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional act that will only serve to inflict major embarrassment on the Party leader and the clueless planners and the executors,” he told Standard Digital.

He defended their decision to campaign for the ODM candidate, saying, they had not violated any law.

“Political support cannot be realised through acts of blackmail, fraudulent activities and intolerance. Hon Mudavadi knew from the word go the possible outcomes of Kibra by elections and should not stop shadow boxing and engaging in unworthy exercise of creating sacrificial lambs,” he said.

ODM’s Bernard Otieno 'Imran' Okoth won the Kibra by-election with 24,636 votes beating Jubilee’s McDonald Mariga who was second.

Mariga garnered 11,230 votes while Mr Eliud Owalo of Amani National Congress got 5,275 votes.    

The mini-poll attracted 24 candidates and recorded 35.38 per cent voter turnout.