Nasa leaders head to Mombasa for people’s assembly

The National Super Alliance (Nasa) is Sunday expected to heighten the push for the swearing-in of its leader Raila Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka during a rally in Mombasa.

Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka were expected to jet into the port city Saturday evening for a people’s assembly at Uhuru Gardens at 10am before addressing a public rally at Changamwe Volleyball grounds.

“Both events will be graced by Nasa principals Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula. They will be hosted by Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho,” Mombasa County communication boss, Richard Chacha said.

Mr Odinga’s spokesman Dennis Onyango also confirmed the ODM party leader will be in Mombasa for the event.

OTHER RALLIES

“Mr Odinga will attend alongside other Nasa leaders. From there it will be onward to Narok, Migori and Kisii then Nairobi for swearing-in,” Mr Onyango told Nation.

Opposition supporters in Mombasa were Saturday strategising to ensure the people’s assembly goes on smoothly.

The meeting will be Nasa’s second after Friday’s rally in Machakos.

The opposition has organised a series of meetings ahead of Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka’s planned swearing-in on January 30 following a disputed August 8 election and the October 26 repeat presidential election that was boycotted by Nasa.

Coast is regarded as a Nasa stronghold after the opposition won most of the seats in the region in the August 2017 polls.

Most of the residents further heeded Mr Odinga’s call to keep off the repeat presidential election in October 2017.

President Uhuru Kenyatta had warned against the opposition’s plans which he termed as threatening territorial integrity.

SECESSION

Sunday’s meeting falls on the announced date by Mr Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi for secession talks.

The two governors are expected to give a follow-up on the self-determination talks.

Last month they had promised to have the first convention on secession mid-January.

Mr Joho had said that at least 1,200 delegates will be identified from the six coastal counties to discuss the roadmap to realising self-determination.

Mombasa, Kilifi, Taita Taveta and Kwale county assemblies are among those that passed the people’s assembly motion, signalling a vote of confidence with the opposition demands.

On Friday, during the Nasa meeting in Machakos, Nasa leaders vowed to go on with the swearing-in ceremony of Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka during a rally to be held at Uhuru Park.

Should Nasa make good its threat, this is likely to heighten the increasingly confrontational political wrangles between Mr Odinga and his allies on the one hand and President Kenyatta and his administration on the other.

The row between Nasa and Jubilee has in the past led to bloodshed and deaths with church leaders and Western powers vouching for an amicable solution through talks.