NASA leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula. Photo: The Star/the-star.co.ke
It is barely less than four months to the General Election on August 8 but the main opposition front (NASA) which is set to face the ruling Jubilee Party led by President Uhuru Kenyatta in the hotly contested polls is yet to declare their presidential candidate.
NASA coalition which boasts of four leaders Raila Odinga (ODM), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), and Moses Wetangula (Ford-Kenya) who have all shown an interest to ascend the top seat in the land despite the fact taht they can't run at the same time but at the same time it is also evident none of them wants to step down for the other.
In their quest to make sure they pick a flagbearer without breaking the NASA unity, the four leaders went ahead to form two committees: The Technical Committee which is made up academicians such as economist David Ndii and professor Adams Oloo, the other one is the National Coordinating Committee which is the political wing for the picking of a flagbearer, this committee consists of the likes of Siaya Senator Jame Orengo, his Machakos counterpart Johnson Muthama and also Ford-Kenya's Eseli Simiyu.
NASA leaders after they signed the agreement.
Since the committee was formed Kenyans have been treated to promises by both committees and the four principals that NASA has picked the presidential candidate and they are set to name him publicly but all that has just been a promise.
Recently, the NASA leaders promised Kenyans that they were going to make a huge announcement at the Masinde Muliro grounds in Mathare, Nairobi county, many thought that is when the flagbearer will be unveiled but nothing came out of it.
The latest supposition from sources within NASA is that they may unveil their candidate on March 31st.
On a closer look, however, this issue of flagbearer seems to cause a lot of jitters in NASA, especially after Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka came out repeatedly to state that he is the right man for the job, a statement that has caused panic and continues to leave a bitter taste in the mouths of Raila Odinga fanatics.
The formation of NASA.
We can all agree that NASA is the only unit that can give Jubilee a ran for their money in the August polls, and that can only be achieved by a united NASA. Hence if the leaders decide to part ways then President Uhuru Kenyatta and by extension Jubilee will win by a stable margin in this year's elections.
However, according to the hypothesis of political pundit and linguistics lecturer at the University of Nairobi professor Herman Manyora, NASA will have themselves to blame if Jubilee wins.
Manyora said the situation facing NASA is very similar to the situation that was witnessed in the 2002 elections where opposition leaders came together under the National Rainbow Alliance (NARC) in their bid to dethrone KANU, the independence party.
In 2002, in the run-up to the elections, opposition leaders the Late Micheal Kijana Wamalwa, former president Mwai Kibaki, Raila Odinga, Charity Ngilu, the late professor George Saitoti, and Kalonzo Musyoka had all fronted themselves the presidential ticket and a stalemate ensued on who was best footed to face the "Moi project".
A similar fight was witnessed by the leaders, but out of nowhere after the famous Serena talks, when the leaders met at Uhuru Park, Raila Odinga came out and pulled a slogan that resonates with Kenyans today. Odinga unselfishly said "Kibaki Tosha".
Immediately the tide changed and all the opposition leaders rallied behind Kibaki, the rest his history as they say.
So according to Manyora, it only needs one of the four Principals in NASA to come out and make a declaration that one of the is "Tosha" and abracadabra! NASA will have a flagbearer who will be supported by supporters of either principal.
Should one of them just say "Tosha".