Why NASA has suspended People’s Assembly agenda

We have found it necessary to stand together for unity.”

Those were the words of NASA strategist David Ndii few minutes after suspending the People’s Assembly agenda.

In a political twist that shows Friday's rapprochement between President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA's Raila Odinga was bearing fruit, Dr Ndii who is also the Steering Committee chair of opposition NASA, announced the dissolution of the People’s Assembly process saying it was found appropriate upon request.

The People’s Assembly was launched late last year by the opposition NASA to steer forward the people’s agenda and force electoral reform ahead of Raila’s “swearing-in” that took place on January 30. Ninenteen counties had already passed legislation to put the assemblies in motion.

Dr Ndii's announcement comes three days after NASA leader Raila Odinga reconciliation with President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday that is being seen as the end of their decades-old vendetta.

Raila has since joined three NASA co-principals among them Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi and Senator Moses Wetangu'la for a meeting at Stoni Athi Resort in Machakos County today, to chart the coalition’s political future.

Speaking exclusively to KTN NEWS, Ndii said the sole purpose of the suspension was so “they could reason together and give unity an opportunity,” acknowledging the country had suffered ethnic polarisation since the August General Election.

However, NASA will not stop fighting for electoral reforms and forging ahead with the people’s agenda as was made clear by the coalition’s principals, said Dr Ndii.

After the disputed elections, the country was thrust into a political stalemate with neither of the two major coalitions, Jubilee and NASA willing to give dialogue a chance until last week Friday, when President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA leader Raila Odinga chose to bury the hatchet by signing the unity pact.

The political nemeses agreed to work together, saying that the country was not going to burn under their watch.