Nasa holds crisis talks over Raila swearing-in plan

Principals of the National Super Alliance will meet on Monday to sort out differences surrounding the planned swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga as the people’s president, and complaints by Wiper Democratic Movement over the sharing of parliamentary leadership positions.

Mr Odinga and his co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula will seek to calm nerves in the opposition after Mr Miguna Miguna, a key player in the coalition’s resistance wing, sensationally claimed on Twitter at the weekend that Mr Musyoka and Mr Wetang’ula had been holding night meetings with Jubilee leaders.

On Sunday, Wiper Party Secretary-General Peter Mathuki and Deputy Minority Whip in the National Assembly Chris Wamalwa described the allegations as total lies, saying Mr Miguna should not be taken seriously.

RUMOURS

“Mr Musyoka is a co-principal in Nasa. How can someone leave his home, which he founded?. We cannot take Miguna seriously because he is not even a member of Nasa,” Mr Mathuki said.

“The rumours are far-fetched as the only thing our party leader has called for is national dialogue on electoral reforms. Mr Musyoka is a respected international diplomat and can lead dialogue in this country. If he has done it in other countries, why not in his own? asked Mr Mathuki.

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Dr Wamalwa, while dismissing the allegations as cheap lies, stated that the Bungoma senator was in Nasa for the long haul: “Whoever is saying that Mr Wetang’ula is headed to Jubilee is daydreaming and such rumours should be treated as total lies.”

“As Ford-Kenya, we are in Nasa to stay and we are not going anywhere any time, Nasa is our bedrock,” said the Kiminini MP.

WRATH OF KENYANS

On Saturday, Mr Miguna said some principals were against Mr Odinga’s swearing-in and warned that anyone sabotaging the plans will face the wrath of Kenyans.

The meeting comes as various parliamentary committees are gearing up for their induction in Mombasa, with the House set to resume its sittings on February 13.

On Sunday, Mr Mudavadi confirmed the meeting but declined to reveal the agenda: “It is true we will have a meeting tomorrow (Monday).”

Mr Wetang’ula confirmed on Friday at a press conference that Nasa top leadership would meet to find a solution to some of the issues raised.

“We have a leadership structure and party leaders and we have agreed to sit down on Monday the four of us and talk. Our Wiper brothers will tell us what they are not happy about and we will resolve that because we must move forward as a coalition,” said Mr Wetang’ula.

SHARPLY DIVIDED

“Wiper has a right to say that the right thing was not done and we will look at that and where we will find that we did not do well as a coalition, we will correct,” added the senate minority leader.

The parliamentary committees chairperson positions sharply divided the opposition lawmakers as other coalition partners accused the Orange Democratic Movement of bulldozing small parties.

Apart from Wiper, Mr Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress had also expressed displeasure at ODM on the sharing of the positions, especially the Public Accounts Committee leadership.

However, the other coalition partner, Ford-Kenya, has not raised any complaint, having taken the Senate minority leadership position, which was given to Mr Wetang’ula and the Deputy Minority Whip in the National Assembly, which went to Dr Wamalwa.

Lugari MP Ayub Savula had earlier complained that ANC had raised the issue of being short-changed and bullied by ODM.

The committee leadership elections were done when Mr Musyoka was on a 10-week tour of Germany, where his ailing wife was being treated.

In the elections, ODM took the Public Accounts Committee chairmanship through Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, although the coalition had reportedly settled on Mr Mudavadi’s pointman, Sakwa Bunyasi (Nambale, ANC).

SHORT-CHANGED

In the Public Investments Committee, Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir was elected the chairman, leaving Butere MP Tindi Mwale of ANC complaining that his party had once again been short-changed.

In the Parliamentary Service Commission, Wiper has claimed it was cheated out of a seat that was to be handed to Borabu MP Bernard Momanyi.

“We demand a slot in the PSC because we are in the coalition by right and deserve a slot.

The  Wiper Party on Wednesday reignited the Nasa disagreements over leadership positions in parliamentary committees after it demanded a reversal to what it said was the originally agreed on line-up.

In a meeting chaired by Mr Musyoka at the party headquarters in Nairobi last week, Wiper said it was dissatisfied with how it was treated in the sharing of the slots.

“It is not a light matter. Our members have expressed strong sentiments that when Mr Kalonzo was away, the committee positions were not shared as agreed,” the Wiper party chairman, Prof Kivutha Kibwana, said.

“We will be looking for a reversal to the original agreements.”