NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 18 – The future of the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) now is hunging in the balance after Wiper Democratic Movement Party Leader Musyoka Kalonzo declared that he will be escalating his cooperation agreement with Jubilee Party to coalition pact ‘as soon as conditions permit’.
Speaking during the official signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement on Wednesday, Kalonzo said the party had been pushed into the decision after it was undermined by fellow coalition partners in the opposition.
He cited some of the changes within the opposition coalition leadership in Parliament which were made without the approval of the NASA’s top decision-making organ which according to him met last in the run-up to the 2017 General Elections.
“Our MPs came in as NASA and they did some changes, the next thing they are saying is this thing (coalition) exists only on paper. Some of them are speaking without the authority of The NASA Summit.That tells you that we also have to be realistic in our assessment, we are all political leaders and we know where we want to go,” Kalonzo told reporters at the Jubilee Party Headquarters.
But Jubilee Party Vice-Chairman David Murathe clarified that the agreement, the ruling party is pursing is meant to bring everyone together.
“Us (Jubilee), we are not home breakers, because the co-operation is defined inside the agreement, we shall be cooperating inside and outside Parliament,” Murathe said.
The former Vice-President said the Wiper-Jubilee cooperation pact also covers allocation of Majority Party parliamentary committee slots.
“The area of parliamentary committees, that I think was covered by the negotiators so we should expect that, so this other things we should leave them, time will tell,” he said.
Kalonzo also denied he was among nine prominent politicians tipped for possible appointment to the Cabinet as President Uhuru Kenyatta plans a major shake-up in government.
“If I was to join Cabinet, would you expect that I would relinquish my position as a party leader to go into Cabinet, with two years to a General Election?” he posed the question back to the journalists present.
Media reports suggested plans are underway to have Musyoka, alongside KANU Leader Gideon Moi, Chama Cha Mashinani Party Leader Isaac Ruto, former Chief of Defence Forces Gen Samson Mwathethe and East Africa Court of Justice judge Charles Nyachae join the Cabinet.
Jubilee Party and KANU signed a coalition agreement which saw West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio being named the Senate Majority Leader in May.
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