Cleophas Malala’s sudden disappearance from the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) in December did not happen quietly. For weeks, party members, MPs, and online commentators openly questioned where he had gone and whether he had abandoned the party altogether. Some tabloids even claimed Malala had decamped, just like Juja MP George Koimburi had done earlier. Behind the scenes, however, the real issue was not politics or ideology — it was money.
In December, DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua and senior figures were deeply involved in mobilising funds from political aspirants. These funds were meant to support party activities and preparations ahead of upcoming political engagements. Malala was given a central role in this process. He was tasked with calling aspirants, negotiating contributions, and physically collecting the money.
According to insiders, Gachagua and Malala had a clear understanding on how the funds would be shared. The agreement was straightforward: 50 percent of the money would go to Gachagua, 40 percent to Malala, and 10 percent would be retained by the party for operational expenses. This arrangement, sources say, had been in place since April 2025 and had worked without major conflict.
By late December and early January, Malala had reportedly collected over Kshs. 15 million from aspirants. Based on the agreement, Gachagua was to receive Kshs. 7.5 million, Malala Kshs. 6 million, and the party Kshs. 1.5 million. But things changed suddenly after the collections were completed. Gachagua allegedly became unreachable and later only sent Malala Kshs. 500,000 through one of his aides.
Malala then received a text message explaining that many political activities had taken place in December and January and that most of the money had already been spent. According to Gachagua, about Kshs. 13.5 million had gone into financing these activities, leaving little to distribute.
This explanation did not sit well with Malala. He accused Gachagua of breaking their agreement and threatened to leave the party for President Ruto’s UDA. When he failed to reach Gachagua, Malala escalated matters by threatening to auction furniture and items at the DCP offices. Party records added another twist: Malala was listed as the only registered party official, while Gachagua was not.
As Malala stayed away, pressure mounted inside the party. MPs warned that his absence was damaging DCP’s image and making it look like a Kikuyu-only outfit. Some MPs threatened to walk away if the issue was not resolved.
Eventually, Gachagua reached out. Malala made his position clear — no meeting unless Kshs. 5.5 million was paid. Soon after, Gachagua’s aides delivered Kshs. 5 million in cash to Malala’s Kitengela home. Days later, Malala reappeared alongside Gachagua in public, ending the standoff.
Insiders say it was the Kshs. 5 million that saved DCP from implosion — even though deep resentment remains beneath the surface.
