Two Cord co-principals Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang’ula won’t be at a three-day National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting planned for Nairobi this weekend.

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The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) affiliate parties including Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) were to hold the joint NEC retreat from Saturday to Monday.

Coming against the backdrop of several differences over joint nominations and the coalition’s presidential flag bearer, the joint NEC meeting flopped after the two confirmed they would not be attending.

Kalonzo and Wetangula cited ‘other engagements’ as the reason for them not attending.

On Thursday, Wiper Secretary General Hassan Omar and Ford Kenya deputy party leader Boni Khalwale said they had already informed ODM of the decision.

“Wiper is readying itself to be an alternative (governing party). The NEC meeting would have interfered with our plans which we had put in place and we have requested that it is postponed,” said Omar as quoted by the Standard.

His party leader Kalonzo has a full diary as he is currently at the Coast. He is scheduled to hold a rally at Mombasa’s Tononoka grounds on Sunday.

Hassan said that Wiper was crisscrossing the country to popularise itself among Kenyans.

Ford Kenya’s Khalwale said he had also communicated about his party’s inability to attend the NEC meeting. His adding that he was not aware of the meeting’s agenda could be a pointer that all is not well at Orange House.

He was quick to note that there was nothing out of the ordinary saying “when our party leader agreed with other principals about the meeting, he was not aware we had other plans.

Cord has lately experienced turbulence with mass defections by its members some of whom have already gone back.

On Friday, Raila told delegates at a meeting held at African Hope Hall that he was keen on strengthening his party and that ODM was not in rush to form coalitions before the elections.

“We have to build our house and make it strong. When ODM is strong, CORD will be strong,” Raila said.