NASA leaders during a past rally. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
The NASA National Coordinating Committee co-chairman James Orengo on Wednesday described today’s Bomas meeting as significant.
The NCC had been tasked with identifying NASA’s ideal line-up to take on Jubilee candidate President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto.
Today, Thursday, NASA principals Raila Odinga (ODM), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya) and Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) are expected to receive Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto into the coalition, in a meeting at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi.
Governor Ruto, who is the Chama Cha Mashinani leader, said he will be the fifth NASA principal.
However, speaking on Citizen TV’s JKL show Wednesday evening, Ruto said he was not interested in the presidency.
This means he will not be either a presidential candidate or running mate for NASA.
All elected NASA affiliate party leaders and aspirants are expected to attend the meeting.
NCC co-chairmen Orengo, Johnson Muthama (Senator Machakos) and Sakwa Bunyasi (ANC) described the Bomas meeting as “a momentous day” for NASA.
“The principals will make very many important announcements tomorrow on how we are going to move forward as a coalition,” Muthama said during the press briefing.
Muthama further said they had settled on a flag bearer.
“There is speculation that the NCC has failed in its mandate. That is wrong. We can’t let Kenyans down. We have a flag-bearer,” he said.
He continued, “Jubilee is obsessed by our flag-bearer. We have one but we wonder why the interest because we know that at no point did they hold a meeting and decide that President Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto were to be Jubilee’s flag-bearers for 10 years.”
There have been reports of a possible fallout following rumours that the planned retreat by the NASA principals flopped.
A fortnight ago, a document was leaked indicating that NASA’s NCC had settled on a Raila- Kalonzo line up.
The announcement by ODM, Raila’s party, sparked outrage among ANC, Wiper and Ford Kenya parties, who accused ODM of negotiating in bad faith.
Does Muthama’s statement that NASA has a flagbearer mean they will make the much awaited announcement today at Bomas?