Cleophas Malala can now be described as the proverbial Simon Makonde of Kakamega county.
According to John Ruganda’s book ‘the burdens’ too much political ambitions breaks a man.
The more you stretch your hands to grab what is above your head, the more you lose what is beneath your arms.
The rise
From a high school drama teacher in Butere girls, where he used to compete with great drama brains like Oliver Minishi who was then at Kakamega School.
I don’t want to be like that senator who was so ambitious like a dog that carried meat in its mouth while it reached the bridge, it saw a reflection of another dog in the water, and it dropped the meat in the water where it ended up losing everything
Cleophas Malala
Malala came up with t ‘shackles of doom ‘ a political play that ridiculed the government.
The play was unfairly banned from the national drama festival due to its high political content.
Political Career
He went ahead to contest for Mahiakalo MCA seat on an ODM ticket and won.
In 2017 Malala found is way to the Senate when Khalwale left the seat and went for the gubernatorial seat.
Malala is known to be a courageous lad.
He is the only Luhya leader who attended the swearing in of ‘Baba’ at uhuru park.
This earned him the prestigious post of leader of minority in the Senate.
We have accepted the results with our heads held high, I want to thank my competitors Fernandez Barasa and Ayub Savula, there was no vote that was stolen and I thank IEBC
Malala
This made him become very popular.
With this when the 2022 general elections campaigns knocked Malala joined DP Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza.
He made sure he did not do this alone and managed to convince ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi and FORD Kenya’s Moses Wetangula and even in bargained for their fair shares in Kenya Kwanza.
2022 Gubernatorial race
Seeing Kakamega Senator-elect Boni Khalwale as a stumbling block in the Kakamega gubernatorial race, he forced him to step down through Kenya Kwanza party leader William Ruto.
So now our Simon Makonde has gone through the ranks from a thespian, MCA, Senator and now a heartbeat away from becoming Kakamega’s second governor.
But this was not to be as he was defeated by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Candidate Fernandez Barasa who won the seat by garnering 192,929 votes against his 159, 508 votes.
Three years ago while on Milele FM, Malala blasted Khalwale for being too ambitious in his political career which led to his downfall after he vied for the Kakamega gubernatorial seat in 2017.
“I don’t want to be like that senator who was so ambitious like a dog that carried meat in its mouth while it reached the bridge, it saw a reflection of another dog in the water, and it dropped the meat in the water where it ended up losing everything,” said Malala.
Now his quote hits him even as he has conceded defeat by thanking the people of Kakamega for giving him a chance to serve.
“We have accepted the results with our heads held high, I want to thank my competitors Fernandez Barasa and Ayub Savula, there was no vote that was stolen and I thank IEBC,” he said.
All left is now to see how Malala will make a comeback after the big loss.