NASA draft to be tabled and debated in county legislatures

NASA strategist David Ndii speaks at a recent forum. [File, Standard]

The Opposition has finalised a draft motion to be tabled and debated in county assemblies for the establishment of a Peoples’ Assembly this week.

This is in line with the National Super Alliance (NASA) leadership's announcement that it would come up with various strategies to counter what it termed as a sham presidential poll held on October 26.

NASA is pushing, through with its civil disobedience threat, to simultaneously form a Peoples’ Assembly, resume street protests and product boycott this week.

Fresh election

The Peoples’ Assembly will also seek to establish an independent electoral and boundaries commission with a view to holding a fresh presidential election on or before February 9, 2018.

“As the people of Kenya are now unable to exercise their sovereignty through properly elected representatives following the sham elections of August 8th and 26th October, we have resolved to exercise sovereignty directly,” said NASA co-principal Musalia Mudavadi yesterday.

The motion drafted by the NASA technical team led by chief strategist David Ndii, if adopted, will mean the two presidential elections held are null and void and no government formed and/or president declared as a consequence thereof can have constitutional authority or legitimacy to govern.

“The House and its membership will participate in the proceedings of the Peoples’ Assembly and will constitute a special college for the appointment or election of members, delegations and observers to the Peoples’ Assembly,” reads the motion.

NASA wants the actions and performance of constitutional commissions, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the National Police Service, the National Intelligence Service, the Public Service Commission, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to be reviewed with the purpose of ensuring that they are independent to enable them protect the sovereignty of the people and to promote constitutionalism.

“Appropriate measures be undertaken to safeguard and promote devolution and the organs and instruments of devolution, including county assemblies and county governments and secure their financial viability and security with the ultimate objective of the creation of larger and autonomous devolved units within one indivisible sovereign nation,” reads the motion.

Constitution review

Further, it wants review of the Constitution be undertaken to reform the structure of the Executive and Parliament and devolution and to reinforce concrete measures for the promotion of inclusivity, the welfare of the marginalised, the advancement of women and youth, the eradication of corruption and poverty and to secure social justice, equality and fairness.

“The peoples’ assembly will be in each and every county. You will be surprised to know that in the counties in central Kenya, young men are already organising themselves to form these assemblies," said Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula.

Speaking at Okoa Kenya offices in Nairobi, Mudavadi said the People’s Assembly will comprise governors and deputy governors, senators, members of the National Assembly and County Assembly, religious, trade union and civil society leaders and representatives of youth and women organisations. The motion was sent to counties beginning yesterday.