The decision to pick the much awaited National Super Alliance (Nasa) presidential flag-bearer and his running-mate will be through consensus, Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi has said.
Mudavadi’s pre-emptive move on the modalities to settle on the candidate comes days before the Nasa summit meeting to be convened this week.
“It will be through consensus process. We want to assure Kenyans that there is no cause for alarm. We will meet Independent Electoral and Boundaries (Iebc) deadlines and timelines as per schedule. To be honest, in the next few weeks, parties will engaged in party primaries. There is a coordinating committee that will come up with that.” Mudavadi said yesterday.
During the meeting, the Nasa National Coordinating Committee (NCC) comprising of twelve members is expected to present its report to Raila Odinga ODM), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper Party) , Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya) and Mudavadi.
The Informer learnt that the summit meeting will not declare the Nasa candidate amid rising internal disharmony over what insider sources termed as “deliberate delays” to settle on one of the four presidential hopefuls.
They have until April 15, 2017 deadline to pick the candidate. Each of the four candidates believes they deserve the ticket.
Nasa affiliate parties; Orange Democratic Movement, Wiper Party, ANC and Ford Kenya are said to be rocked in intense disagreements with some nominated NCC members said to have an already predetermined candidate.
Inside sources aware of the well managed internal rivalry revealed that Kalonzo’s Wiper Party is silently pushing to have Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana accommodated into the coordinating team.
All the four leaders have downplayed assertions of possible fallout of the alliance.
NCC members include James Orengo, Johnston Muthama, Eseli Simiyu, Sakwa Bunyasi, Francis Nyenze, Agnes Zani, Chris Wamalwa, Farah Maalim, Timothy Bosire, Bonny Khalwale and Kipruto Kirwa. Muthama is the key Wiper Party point man within the negotiating team.
However, Kalonzo is said to be “uncomfortable” with the membership. Wiper party has already endorsed Kalonzo for the top post. Kalonzo publicly trashed recent pollster ratings that ranked him second after Raila saying it is a scheme to influence people.
Last month’s survey by Ipsos rated Raila as the most popular Nasa leader at 51 per cent followed by Kalonzo at 42 per cent, Mudavadi 41 per cent and Wetang’ula 34 per cent.
