Cleophas Malala: I am not getting paid to attend Cabinet

UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malala, and advisor to the President. [PCS]

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Cleophas Malala has defended President William Ruto’s decision to allow his [Ruto’s] advisors to attend Cabinet meetings despite them being non-Cabinet members.

Malala, speaking during an interview with Spice FM on Wednesday, July 5 claimed that Ruto is well within his mandate to allow his advisors to sit in Cabinet meetings if it is for the good of the people.

 “I want to make one thing clear, the president has not added an extra ministry. What he has done is he has ensured that when he is making crucial deliberations that concern Kenyans, he has his advisors there to help him,” said Malala.

The UDA Secretary-General clarified that he is attending the Cabinet meetings as the political advisor to the President and not as a Cabinet Secretary.

“I am coming there to advise him on matters politics and to make sure that the manifesto on which we were elected is being implemented by the Cabinet Secretaries because at the end of the day, in 2027 we shall go back to the people and they will ask us to be accountable for our five years in government.”

UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala defends his position in Cabinet.#standarddigital pic.twitter.com/vMUE90DeeZ

— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) July 5, 2023

Despite his role in Cabinet being unconstitutional, Malala said that by attending the meetings, Cabinet Secretaries will be held accountable for delivering the promises Kenya Kwanza made to Kenyans.

“Every person included in the meeting plays a crucial role in governance. I represent Kenya Kwanza, I will advise the president as my party leader then it is up to him as the head to advise and lead the Cabinet in making decisions in line with our mandate,” he said.

His remarks come a day after a Nairobi lawyer, Charles Mugane, filed a petition to reverse the decision that allows Malala, Chairperson of Economic Council David Ndii, Monica Juma, and Harriette Chiggai to attend Cabinet meetings.

Malala however lauded the lawyer’s move to challenge the decision in court saying: “Since this is the first time this has been adopted, I agree clarity is needed. Someone has gone to court to get an interpretation of this and through that judgment, we will be able to build a jurisprudence which will provide better ways of handling and delivering to Kenyans.”

Malala, Ndii, Juma, and Chiggai, all presidential advisors attended their first Cabinet meeting on June 27 and took an oath of secrecy at State House, Nairobi.