Bigger plan emerges in Nasa as State toughens stand

The opposition National Super Alliance is planning six rallies in the run-up to a national convention at the end of this month in response to the government’s crack down on key players in Raila Odinga’s symbolic swearing-in ceremony as the people’s president.

At the same time, Nasa plans to continue with its product boycott, on top of a new threat that it says could include “wilful disobedience of the law” this weekend.

Since the January 30 Uhuru Park event, the government has gone on an arresting spree, with Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang’, his Makadara counterpart George Aladwa, and firebrand activist Miguna Miguna being the key targets so far.

Mr Miguna was on Tuesday evening deported to Canada.

PASSPORTS
The government has also revoked the passports of 14 Nasa politicians, including Siaya Senator James Orengo, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama, and businessman Jimi Wanjigi.

“There is no government and there is no opposition right now,” National Assembly Minority chief whip Junet Mohamed summed up the Nasa position on Thursday.

“We just have rulers and servants. What is going on, really, has made the life of anyone thought to be pro-opposition very difficult.”

Mr Mohamed, who is also Mr Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) director of elections, said President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government has negated the “huge strides we had made after the 2010 Constitution, the doctrine of the separation of powers, the Bill of Rights, and devolution”.

FIREARMS
The Opposition has been rattled by a ruthless, unforgiving crack down that Mr Odinga has described as the return of the dictatorial Kanu regime, especially after Jubilee leadership confiscated firearm licences of Nasa co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi, and Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati.

In Parliament, the government has recalled vehicles belonging to National Assembly minority leader John Mbadi, Mr Mohamed, and other opposition figures.

To counter these “affronts on their rights”, the Opposition plans to push the anti-harassment card in its rallies, but it has a more lethal weapon hidden in its collective armpit: A national referendum.

The rallies will be held in Suswa, Narok for the Maa region; Wajir Town for the northern frontier; Meru for upper eastern, Eldoret for the Rift Valley region, Kisii for the Gusii region, and a yet-to-be-named location for Central Kenya.

REFERENDUM
At the end of the rallies, the coalition’s people’s assembly planning committee said, delegates will converge in Nairobi at the end of this month for a national convention.

“The resolutions of the convention will be validated by the people through a referendum,” Nasa lead strategist David Ndii said of the grand plan.

“Our goal is to see the people’s assembly process culminate in a presidential election under a new electoral regime no later than August 2018.”

To cement the plan and iron out differences arising from the January 30 Raila “oath”, Nasa has called a meeting of its elected leaders on Friday next week.

Mr Musyoka, Mr Mudavadi, and Mr Moses Wetang’ula have all faced a barrage of criticism for skipping the Uhuru Park ceremony, and Wiper chairman Kivutha Kibwana says those accusations could have been informed by the “moment of anger” soon after their no-show.

REFORMS
In the referendum push, the opposition is dangling the carrot of a rotational presidency, an expanded Executive with the option of a prime minister, and a strong devolved system.

The team is also proposing the strengthening of the Judiciary and reforms to the police service.

But what remains unclear — opposition leaders the Nation has been talking to have been non-committal — is whether that referendum push and the new demand to have a fresh election by August 2018 will go together.

Mr Odinga told the BBC earlier in the week that Nasa wants “a third election”, referring to the annulled August 8 election and the October 26 rerun he boycotted.

PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY
On electoral justice, the opposition is training its guns on what it calls a culture of impunity, abuse of power and electoral fraud, and through the people’s assembly wants every vote counts in an election.

On Thursday, Dr Ndii said the national people’s assembly will determine whether Executive authority should rotate to different regions of the country, but also stated that the issue of self-determination remains alive.

In the corridors of justice, Nasa has adopted a prevent-an-arrest strategy, with a battery of lawyers on call.

On Thursday, Orengo, Wanjigi, and Aladwa were turned away at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations when they presented themselves for questioning after they acquired anticipatory bails.