NASA principals Raila Odinga and kalonzo musyoka in a past event. [Photo/Dennis Mwikya]
New details have emerged on why National Super Alliance (NASA) co-principal Musalia Mudavadi skipped the controversial swearing-in of Raila Odinga as the People's President at Uhuru Park.
Mudavadi, who is the brainchild of NASA, was absent when Raila took the illegal oath of office administered by lawyers Miguna Miguna, TJ Kajwang, and James Orengo.
Mudavadi together with his colleagues Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang'ula would later issue a joint statement claiming that they had been put under house arrest and could not leave.
But in a video on social media, COTU secretary-general Francis Atwoli who was instrumental in elevating Mudavadi to a community spokesperson and successfully uniting him with Wetang'ula, revealed that Mudavadi had just chickened out.
Atwoli, who was addressing mourners during the burial of activist Ken Wafula in Soy, Likuyani constituency Kakamega County, said that he had called Mudavadi to inquire why he was a no-show at Uhuru Park grounds and was shocked when the Amani National Congress leader told him he feared to be arrested.
According to Atwoli, who spoke in native Luhya language, told the mourners that Mudavadi told him that they had warned Raila against taking the oath which was declared illegal by the government as they feared they would be arrested and charged for treason, but the ODM leader did not listen.
Atwoli then apologised to members of the Luhya community for having declared Mudavadi as their official spokesperson and withdrew his support for the former deputy prime minister.
And true to their fears, the government has arrested three senior opposition leaders for playing a major role in the unlawful coronation of Raila as the president.
But according to Atwoli, Mudavadi showed cowardice insisting that he should grow a thick skin if he has to be taken seriously as a presidential candidate and a potential commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
“If he knew he would not go, he should have gone to the press and told his supporters from Kakamega, Bungoma and tell them that what Raila is doing is unconstitutional and I am not supporting it,” he said.
Lawyers TJ Kajwang and Miguna Miguna were the first to be arrested and detained by police officers with Makadara MP George Aladwa becoming the third one to be arrested on Saturday, February 3 and later releasedfree bond, to report on Monday at DCI hq for questioning; he is accused of planning attack at Kalonzo home.