Kalonzo wants Nasa flagbearer named

Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Party now wants its partners pushing for a united Opposition front against President Uhuru Kenyatta to name a flag bearer by the end of March.

The party, on Thursday, said that it was committed to unity with Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC) and Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya arguing it was the only way to beat President Kenyatta in the August 8 polls.

It did not, however, say if the flag bearer will run under the proposed National Super Alliance (Nasa), an outfit fronted by Mr Mudavadi and supported by Mr Odinga, only choosing to point out the four parties.

“Wiper will propose a blueprint to include a governance and management structure, a framework which will serve as a roadmap to naming the coalition’s flag bearer by end of March 2017,” party Secretary General Hassan Omar said after a National Executive Committee meeting at their Lavington offices.

The meeting was chaired by Mr Musyoka who was flanked by his deputy Farah Maalim, senators Johnstone Muthama (Machakos) and Makueni’s Mutula Kilonzo Jr as well as other leaders.

Mr Musyoka, in what he said was to move the country forward in preparation for the elections, said that the Opposition was ready to shelve its case opposing the voter audit if new Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission grants them audience within ten days.

Mr Wafula Chebukati and other six commissioners took office last week as the new face of the elections body.

“We have told Mr Chebukati that we are ready to put our case away. Because these cases do not help anyone. But we must meet as stakeholders with the most urgent necessity to clear these things out,” said Mr Musyoka.

The party had accused the IEBC of turning a blind eye to what they said were voter registration machines breakdowns in Mombasa and Makueni Counties.

“It is foolhardy for the IEBC to update us on the mass voter registration while not comprehensively addressing the concerns raised by the various leaders of the opposition coalition,” said Mr Omar.

Mr Musyoka and his Cord co-principal Mr Odinga have both claimed that they shared their identity card numbers with other Kenyans in what they said was a sign of massive fraud.

Mr Musyoka said that the problem was much bigger than the opposition leaders had said.

“I checked my ID on Wednesday and I still share it with someone else. The IEBC has admitted that over 128,000 Kenyans have that problem. That, we need to talk about. And urgently,” he said.

The party said that President Kenyatta had overstepped his mandate in threatening the arrests of opposition politicians.

“Let President Kenyatta appreciate that he is a candidate like any other for purposes of the electioneering process. It is not in the place of the President to threaten the arrest of competitors,” said Mr Omar.