Veteran journalist Jeff Koinange and Democracy for the Citizens Party Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala
A Sunday night interview on Citizen TV descended into sharp personal exchanges as veteran journalist Jeff Koinange and DCP’s Cleophas Malala squared off over careers, party loyalty and political relevance.
By Yvonne Wambui
A live television interview on Citizen TV’s Sunday Live programme Sunday evening turned into one of the most talked-about confrontations of the political season, as veteran journalist Jeff Koinange and Democracy for the Citizens Party Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala exchanged pointed personal remarks in front of a national audience.
The interview, broadcast on Sunday 1 November, began as a discussion on political ambitions, leadership changes and Malala’s position within DCP. It quickly moved onto sharper ground. When Koinange pressed Malala on his trajectory — moving from one political position to another — Malala pushed back hard, turning the lens on his interviewer. He compared Koinange to Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, describing the veteran journalist as the “Atwoli of the media” — a man, he suggested, who had grown too comfortable in one seat and stopped evolving professionally.
Koinange did not let it pass. He defended his standing vigorously, pointing to his experience and the calibre of guests who continued to seek out his platform as evidence that his influence in Kenyan media remained firmly intact. He then shifted the attack, questioning Malala’s political consistency and labelling him a party hopper whose standing within DCP was under serious internal pressure.
The exchange sharpened further when Koinange raised Nyandarua Senator John Methu, suggesting that Methu had effectively assumed the political space Malala once occupied within the party. Malala rejected the framing outright, insisting that his ambitions were not confined to a single role and that political growth, by definition, requires movement.
The confrontation landed at a sensitive moment for DCP. The party, founded around former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, is navigating heightened scrutiny over its internal leadership structures and preparations for the 2027 General Election. Malala has previously denied being sidelined, maintaining that he remains a founding member with a clearly defined regional role.
Public reaction to the exchange was swift and divided. Some viewers praised the unfiltered frankness of the encounter, while others questioned whether personal jabs serve the public interest in what should be a substantive political conversation.
What the exchange confirmed, beyond the headlines it generated, is that as 2027 draws closer, the line between political interview and political theatre in Kenya is becoming increasingly difficult to locate.
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