Nasa on course to name presidential candidate: Mudavadi

National Super Alliance principal Musalia Mudavadi has said plans to name a single presidential candidate for the coalition are going on smoothly.

Speaking in Mombasa on his first day tour to market Nasa on Saturday, the ANC leader the coalition's priority will be to form a government with a national outlook immediately it wins power.

Mr Mudavadi said this will be to ensure regional integration and national cohesion.

"We must implement the spirit of national cohesion," Mr Mudavadi said at Serena Beach Hotel before starting a tour of the county.

MUDAVADI FOR PRESIDENT

Some locals waved placards "Mudavadi for President" where Mr Mudavadi's convoy passed. Other placards read: "Mombasa county loves Mudavadi."

Mr Mudavadi is to square it out with ODM leader Raila Odinga, Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Ford Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula for the Nasa presidential ticket.

The leaders have signed a pact to share power if Nasa wins.

The ANC leader whose presidential bid has gained momentum due to opposition unity said the process of naming Nasa torchbearer was on course.

BEAT DEADLINE

Without stating when and how the nominee will be arrived at, Mr Mudavadi said, "I assure you we will meet the required deadline."

"All the processes we agreed on are as per timeline," he said.

The soft spoken Nasa luminary said the picking of Nasa team leader to face President Uhuru Kenyatta in August polls will be done in an inclusive way.

Mr Mudavadi said Nasa will agree on to hold nominations for affiliate parties to satisfy members.

JOINT NOMINATIONS

He said individual parties could compete in some areas and joint nominations done in others. The mini-polls could also be through consensus.

Mr Mudavadi was flanked by Senators Hassan Omar, George Khaniri and MP Paul Otuoma.

In a press statement released later during his tour, the former Finance minister defended his tenure between 1993 to 1997.

"I found Kenya’s Treasury in the red. The taxation system had been infected with corrupt gatekeepers. Collection of taxes was minimal because people paid to evade taxes instead of paying tax," he said.

VALUE FOR TAXES

Tax accountability, he added, was zero.

"Other cartels had set up toll stations stealing the little tax collected. The people of Kenya were not getting value for the taxes they paid," he said.

"As Finance Minister I established Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to streamline the tax system and rid the tax system of toll station cartels.

This has worked with increased collection of revenue since then," he said.

KILLING THE HEN

Unfortunately, Mr Mudavadi said, "there is now disturbing news for Kenyans; unless we protect KRA from the desperate greed of any government, the tax collector will be turned into a tormentor of innocent Kenyans." 

He said the Jubilee administration impoverishment of Kenyans had reached "shocking levels."

"Done with making life unbearable for ordinary Kenyans through unnecessary high taxes, Jubilee is busy killing the hen that lays the golden egg by raiding employers," the former Sabatia MP said.

He went on, "Desperate to raise money to fund its great appetite for grandiose projects, corruption and elections, the Jubilee regime is resorting to uncouth blackmail and extortion of business people."

"It therefore has set unattainable tax targets for KRA."

UNAFFORDABE TAX BILLS

The ANC leader said the  government was using KRA to arm-twist businesses to forcefully support Jubilee campaigns or else are slapped unaffordable tax bills.

"Uncooperative businesses who fail to succumb to this grand extortion scheme are slapped with impossible fake tax bills and arrears. In yet other cases, VAT refunds are withheld," he said.

Mr Mudavadi said the country could not create "a predictable investment and business environment to create jobs for our youth while wielding the tax dagger against investors."

Mr Mudavadi said if he becomes president under NASA, "I will insulate KRA from such illegal influence."

KRA AMENDMENTS

"I shall engineer amendments to make KRA an independent constitutional office," he said.

He promised to bring all revenue collection under one umbrella for county governments to also "openly account for revenue they collect."

Under Mr Mudavadi's government, he said, KRA will stop being beholden to the whims of any regime in power and stop being "nuisance" to the stability of investment, business and job creation.