Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malalah is set to hold a second “homecoming” rally in Kakamega on Saturday, May 31, 2025, despite recent clashes with law enforcement and political tensions surrounding his public engagements.
The planned rally comes just a week after police disrupted a similar event organized by Malalah and his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) on May 24. The chaos, marked by teargas and running battles, prompted a legal standoff between the DCP deputy party leader and police.
Following the incident, the High Court in Kibera granted Malalah anticipatory bail, shielding him from arrest. Justice Diana Kavedza, ruling on May 28, directed that while the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) may proceed with investigations, they are barred from detaining Malalah pending further court orders. The court set the bail at KSh100,000 and instructed Malalah’s legal team to ensure he appears for interrogation by June 3.
The new rally, dubbed the “second coming” of the DCP in Western Kenya, was announced through the party’s official social media platforms. “It’s about to go down,” read a poster shared by Malalah on X (formerly Twitter), underscoring the event’s political significance. Several party leaders, including Senators Methu Muhia and Karungo Thang’wa, are expected to accompany Malalah.
Despite being summoned by the Western Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud to record a statement regarding the earlier chaos, Malalah maintains that the May 24 rally was peaceful. He has accused police of using excessive force, including live bullets, to disperse what he termed a legitimate political gathering.
“I strongly condemn the use of brute force, live bullets, and unnecessary teargas by our security agencies to disperse a peaceful procession merely welcoming home their leader,” Malalah stated.
As political temperatures rise in Western Kenya, Malalah’s persistence in pushing ahead with the Kakamega rally signals his resolve to establish a strong foothold for the DCP, while testing the limits of political freedom in a charged environment.
