FORD-Kenya is still in NASA, Wetangula now says

FORD-Kenya Party leader Moses Wetangula now says his party will remain in the National Super Alliance (NASA), adding that he was misquoted in reports indicating that FORD-Kenya had shipped out of the opposition coalition.

Speaking in Nambale, Busia Couny on Saturday Wetangula said NASA affiliate parties — FORD-Kenya, ODM, ANC and Wiper — are bound by a pre-election agreement that holds until the 2022 elections.

“NASA was formed by Raila Odinga, Moses Wetangula, Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi. NASA does not belong to an individual. When I was in Mombasa, journalists asked me about the status of NASA and I told them it is on it’s death bed. I said NASA is moribund which means it’s totally inactive,” said Wetangula.

“Legally we are in parliament through our respective parties but under the NASA umbrella and we shall remain that way for the next five years. These are my FORD-Kenya MCAs in Busia and they are in NASA.”

On Monday, July 15, Wetangula, who was speaking after a FORD-Kenya members meeting in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, said NASA is dead further accusing Raila Odinga of betraying the coalition.

Wetangula even insinuated that FORD-Kenya would chart its own way as he guns up for the 2022 presidential seat.

“In my view, NASA is now a moribund organization. NASA is history. We were in NASA as FORD-Kenya in a coalition of the willing, we suffered a massive betrayal by our presidential candidate and as a party we are now focused on how to strengthen our grassroots support and to strengthen our national appeal,” said the Bungoma Senator.

“I lead a party that has a history and has fought so hard to level the playing field in this country. I am a presidential candidate and my party has endorsed me for the seat,”

His remarks sparked anger from Raila Odinga’s ODM party which asked Wetangula to relinquish the parliamentary leadership seats handed to FORD-Kenya by virtue of the NASA agreement.

“He has time and again said Nasa is dead but why doesn’t he send his official communication to the Registrar of Political Parties? What we know is that Nasa died after the January 30 swearing-in when the cowards could not turn up for the occasion,” said ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna in an interview with the Nation.

Responding to Sifuna’s remarks, Wetangula claimed that ODM had abandoned its opposition role following the unity deal between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr. Odinga.

“Instead of responding to issues of appointments from his tribe, the ODM leader is using upstart surrogates to hurl abuses at Wetangula. Very unhelpful,” the Bumgoma Senator tweeted. “Having abandoned its opposition role, ODM turns its guns on its partners, Despicable! Shame! Let the inanity reign like the tower of Babel.”

Amid the exchange, ANC Party leader Musalia Mudavadi came out to state that NASA was yet to receive any formal communication from Moses Wetangula on Ford-Kenya’s decision to withdraw from the coalition.

“To leave NASA, all parties must write official letters indicating their exit. Presently, I am not aware of any party that has written to the Registrar of Political Parties saying they have left NASA,” said Mudavadi.

“We have challenges, but we will discuss them in-house so as to present a strong opposition.”

The NASA coalition was left in limbo after co-principals Wetangula, Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper Party and ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi skipped Mr. Odinga’s controversial swearing-in on January 30, 2018.

Mr. Odinga and President Kenyatta would later sign a peace deal that was symbolised by a much-publicised handshake on March 9 this year, with the NASA co-principals denouncing the agreement, claiming they had been sidelined.

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raila odinga odm NASA FORD KENYA Moses Wetangula

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