Nasa leaders meet to discuss the swearing-in of Odinga

NAIROBI: Kenyan opposition coalition party, the National Super Alliance (Nasa), met yesterday to sort out differences over the planned swearing-in of its leader Raila Odinga, Kenya’s Daily Nation reported.

Odinga has been threatening a “counter inauguration” following Uhuru Kenyatta’s swearing-in as president on November 28.

Kenyatta is serving his second term after winning the October 26 rerun election, which was ordered by the country’s Supreme Court on the ground of irregularities following the annulment of the August presidential elections.

The opposition leader claimed the results of the rerun were fraudulent. However, the government has warned of possible political unrest should Odinga proceed with his counter swearing-in.

But now even within the opposition coalition party there is conflict, primarily over the sharing of parliamentary leadership positions and specifically from the Wiper Democratic Movement. Yesterday’s meeting expected to be attended by Odinga and his co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula was aimed at soothing frayed opposition nerves following provocative claims over the weekend.

Miguna Miguna, a key player in the coalition’s resistance wing, claimed on Twitter that Musyoka and Wetang’ula had been holding nightly meetings with leaders from the ruling Jubilee party.

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 Miguna should not be taken seriously. “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,” Mathuki said.

Meanwhile, various parliamentary committees are gearing up for their induction in Mombasa.