NASA Principals set for retreat to name candidate

NASA co-principals Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga and Moses Wetang’ula during their rally in Wajir. (Photo: Dennis Kavisu/Standard)

The National Super Alliance (NASA) principals will retreat from Friday to agree amongst themselves who will be the presidential candidate and the running-mate.

Raila Odinga (ODM), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) will go to a secret venue to deliberate on the report by the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) and the David Ndii-led Technical Committee.

Submitting the report on Thursday is meant to give politicians, especially those sitting in the coordinating committee, ample time to focus on campaigns ahead of nominations, which start on Friday.

“We are going for a retreat to agree among ourselves who among us will be our presidential candidate and running mate,” Kalonzo told The Standard.

Growing anxiety

A source said the decision to finalise report this Thursday and present it to the four principals was further informed by the need to unveil a single candidate to stem the growing anxiety and claims that the coalition was unable to reach an agreement.

Another source also clarified that NCC had not held any meeting for the past two weeks. This is after the Technical Committee requested for time to complete its tasks.

And now the Technical Committee is set to hand over its report to NCC for deliberations and subsequently present it to the principals.

Deputy President William Ruto and a host of Jubilee MPs have been hitting out at the Opposition, claiming that the co-principals cannot agree on who should be on the ballot to face President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“We must close this issue by Thursday and leave the rest to the principals. They themselves must sit and agree through consensus who will be the candidate and running mate,” said the source.

The source further divulged that it had been very difficult for the coordinating committee to agree on the presidential candidate since all the four parties are represented equally and the representatives all support the candidacy of their man.

The source also said allowing the principals to agree amongst themselves also aimed at averting possible fallout and voter apathy among the supporters.

Kalonzo also confirmed that the principals would receive final reports from the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) and the technical committee.

“We put in place the committees to come up with modalities of how we will get a flag-bearer among other assignments. But the onus of saying who it will be is ours,” Kalonzo said.

Mudavadi also confirmed that consensus is the way to go.

“I know Kenyans are waiting with bated breath to see who among us leads them to send President Uhuru Kenyatta home on August 8. But I am happy that this will soon be made public,” he said.

Mudavadi said the coalition’s focus is not based on individuals but leading Kenyans to a truly democratic and prosperous future. “We have agreed that any of us is capable of being the flag bearer. We have asked our supporters to back anyone who is presented to them,” Mudavadi said.