Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula agrees the NASA principals cannot be equal partners and that each individual leader within the outfit varies in strength, in terms of support base. The opposition alliance is currently fighting for its life after two of its principals, Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress (ANC) and Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper) insisted they will not back Raila Odinga in 2022.
”You have to summon all the skills of consensus building, give and take. You deny yourself for the next day in favour of a brother or sister. Your strength is equal to the amount of support you get from peers, supporters and friends. Everybody’s strength is an aggregate of what you pull together. That’s how we were able to push Mzee Mwai Kibaki through in 2002,” the former Minority leader in the Senate says.
Mr. Wetangula’s comments have been supported by Minority Whip in the National Assembly Junet Mohammed who says with the current dynamics, no politician can run alone and win the presidency. The Suna East MP, a staunch Raila Odinga supporter explains election pacts will remain a part of Kenya’s politics for a while.
”The truth is you can’t go it alone and win. Whether they are post-election or pre-election pacts, this aspect of canvassing will remain a feature of our politics for quite some time. But I’m of the view that coalitions will work better when we revert to a parliamentary system as opposed to the presidential where power is concentrated in an individual, the president,” he explained.
Apart from his thoughts on NASA, Senator Wetangula has also dismissed talks of him negotiating with DP Ruto over 2022, terming it ‘stranger than fiction.”
“That is stranger than fiction. If I make any political step, I make it public. I am not double-faced,” he adds.
Last week, Raila invited Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula to a popularity contest to decide a joint candidate for next year’s polls.
