Sibling rivalry, 2022 presidential ambitions,
turf wars and secret Jubilee
schemes.
That is the combination of factors
threatening to kill the NASA coalition,
despite public displays of camaraderie
and unity of
purpose among
the affiliate parties and principals.
Weeks of simmering unease that
has spilled into occasional public jabs
at each other have put paid to the Opposition’s
push for
electoral justice
as disgruntled partner parties switch
their focus to revamping for the 2022
polls.
The wrangles and apparent loss
of steam in their quest are giving
President Uhuru Kenyatta an unexpectedly
easy start to his
second and
final term.
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The Star has established
that some of the activities NASA had
planned to agitate for sweeping electoral
reforms have been put
off.
As an indication of NASA’s slow
momentum on their pro-reform
agenda, the alliance has postponed
the inaugural People’s
Convention
that was initially set for February 28.
ODM Executive Director Oduor
Ong’wen a member of the People’s
Assembly Steering Committee
confirmed to the Star that
the coalition
would announce new dates on
Monday next week.
“It is true we would be making
some adjustments to the programme,
and we will issue a comprehensive
brief on Monday,” he
said, without
giving details.
Asked whether the likely suspension
of the launch of the People’s
Assembly would be attributed to
squabbles in the Coalition,
Ong’wen
maintained, “There is no cause for
alarm.”
“We have no issues at all, the committee
is on with the plans,” he said.
The People’s Assemblies, initially
seen as a powerful political machine,
were at the heart of NASA’s anti-Jubilee
push. The strategy was to pile
pressure on the ruling party to climb
down and agree to structured dialogue
with the Opposition.
Since the dramatic arrest and
eventual deportation of self-styled
NRM ‘general’ Miguna Miguna two
weeks ago, nothing much has happened
from the NASA brigade.
The
government offensive against NASA
has also been punctured by a series
of court orders revoking the arbitrary
suspension of firearm licences and
passports.
The Opposition seems to be running
out of steam, with some MPs
breaking ranks to attend the vetting
of Uhuru’s nominees for diplomatic
postings this week, against NASA’s
stated boycott, which included the
vetting of CSs and CASs.
Yesterday, however, the NASA
chiefs appeared together at an ODM
National Governing Council meeting
in a show of solidarity, despite growing disquiet.
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Interviews gleaned from
multiple Opposition insiders paint a
picture of a forced marriage whose
convenience expired after Uhuru
outfoxed the Coalition with the repeat
October 26 polls that NASA boycotted.
“Even in families, a man and
his wife can have differences. But it
doesn’t mean that is the end of the
marriage,” ODM Leader Raila Odinga
stated.
Pressure from powerful Western
countries opposed to the rejection of
Uhuru’s election has also toned down
the NASA offensive, amid hints that
the powers could invoke visa bans.
The unease in NASA became apparent
on Thursday, after a marathon
meeting of Wiper leaders who scoffed
at unnamed Opposition politicians
for consistently insulting Kalonzo.
“Wale wakenya wanaomtusi Kalonzo
lazima wakome, alibandikwa
majina ikielekea uchaguzi wa 2007,
lakini akafaulu kuwa Makamu wa
Rais (Those insulting Kalonzo should
stop. They branded him names prior
to the 2007 election, but he became
Vice President),” warned ex-Machakos
Senator Johnson Muthama.
Muthama had been a fiery ally of
Raila until recently, when he abrupt ly disappeared from the limelight.
He is being readmitted back into Kalonzo’s
inner circle and his statement
rekindles memories of the 2007 Kalonzo-Raila split after the “watermelon”
tag.
A day earlier, ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi
gave the clearest indication
yet that the coalition had given up on
another election before 2022, openly
contradicting NASA chief Raila.
In an interview with NTV, Musalia
Thursday stated that there is no legal
and financial framework to enable
the country to conduct a fresh election
in August.
“There are those who may want to
do what is perceived to be popular,
but there are also those who have the
courage to sometimes tell the people
that is not the right path,” Mudavadi
said in a punch clearly aimed at Raila.
Raila had earlier insisted that there
must be a fresh presidential election
by August this year, the third in a
year.
The other parties, which have in
the past complained of being bulldozed
by ODM, did not comment on
the announcement.
Yesterday Raila began revamping
his political movement and unveiled a new leadership lineup for his ODM
Party. He tapped youthful and radical
politicians to re-engineer the party
in a clear pointer to his succession
roadmap.
Edwin Sifuna, the abrasive lawyer
and party candidate for Nairobi Senator
in last year’s election, took over as
Secretary-General in place of former
Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba.
Kisii Woman Representative Janet
Ong’era and ex-Wundanyi MP
Thomas Mwadeghu become the new
‘vice-chairmen’, among 15 new appointments.
“When the times are tough and uncertain;
when everything we fought
for and the gains we have made are
threatened, Kenyans look to ODM for
direction and leadership,” Raila said
yesterday.
STRAINED
In the last two weeks, Wiper Party’s
insistence on a slot in the powerful
Parliamentary Service Commission
strained ties with ODM, which
could be yearning for an opportunity
to strike back.
“Jubilee openly colluded with one
of our coalition partners against the
leadership of the Minority in Parliament,”
protested Homa Bay Woman
Representative Gladys Wanga, who
was forced out of the PSC.
She was referring to Thursday’s
changes, where ODM was forced drop
her from the PSC list after National
Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi controversially
approved Borabu MP Ben
Momanyi as Wiper’s nominee.
The move, strongly backed by Jubilee
legislators, lifted the lid on the
ruling party’s efforts to infiltrate
NASA. Insiders however say Raila’s
men, buoyed by their numbers, are
secretly plotting to topple Kalonzo’s
allies from the Minority leadership in
what is likely to trigger a major falling
out.
“A process is underway. You will
see what will happen. There will be
consequences [of Wiper’s manoeuvres].
We are being procedural. But
we will strike,” a senior ODM official
told the Star in confidence.
Yesterday, Wiper Deputy Minority
Leader Robert Mbui confirmed that
the party was also rolling out a series
of activities as part of reconstruction
efforts for the 2022 presidential contest.
“We are putting our house in order
and calling all our troops to order.
We know that, when in a coalition,
you tend to forget one’s identity. The
purpose of any political party is the
desire for political power. We want
to revamp ourselves for 2022,” said
Mbui.
The Kathiani MP said the party
would in early March convene a
major meeting of all opinion leaders
from Ukambani to declare the region’s
political direction.
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“We are currently meeting grassroots
leaders and asking them what
direction we should take and sensitising
the people after a lot of misinformation,”
he said.
Yesterday Wiper was holding a
meeting with like-minded political
parties, among them Charity Ngilu’s
Narc, Muungano and CCU at Yatta, as
part of Kalonzo’s efforts to consolidate
his backyard.
Both ANC and Wiper have held
meetings of their top organs. Last
week, Musalia led his party in a house
cleaning exercise in a bid to stamp his
authority and restore discipline as he
casts his sights on 2022.