Kalonzo moves to cushion Nyenze over NASA exit utterances

This comes after an uproar over a recent seven day ultimatum given to NASA by Leader of Minority Francis Nyenze on his candidature.

In his address to the press, Kalonzo now says that Nyenze was expressing “a strong opinion about his leader’’ and that it should be respected.

“If Hon Nyenze expresses a strong opinion, about his leader… give it to him,” Kalonzo said

Kalonzo added that other leaders and especially from the Orange Democratic Movement have made such remarks on live television interviews and no one condemned them.

Also Read:Kalonzo's new twist in his seven-day ultimatum to NASA

"There are those who have come fully in support of Francis Nyenze and I have actually said he has nothing to retract because they can quote what some of our friends did… Joho (Mombasa Governor) actually said they will never take other recommendations expect that of our brother Raila being the flag bearer,” Musyoka told journalists on Friday.

He added: “Listen to what Junet has been saying, on live television and nobody has gone for their jugular. We must have the ability to respect other people’s opinions however much we may disagree with them.”

Nyenze earlier said that the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding between Wiper and ODM has to be honoured, which was to see ODM support a Musyoka ticket.

Also Read: Contents of 'Emali Declaration' that has sparked rage in NASA

According to Nyenze, it is Odinga’s turn to support Musyoka as per the MoU, but says their counterparts in ODM have been dismissing it after they joined NASA.

“We don’t have to keep meeting and even if we meet a hundred times, we will not agree until the MoU is honoured. If they say it is dead, then we also suspect the change of name from CORD which we all loved was to stop the Kamba clamour and asking for the flag bearer position. Because of that demand, whenever we are set to meet, the meeting is postponed,” he revealed.

He added: “That will be the end of NASA and that is why I am saying it should change to something like Nyanza Super Alliance because we will pull out.”

He spoke of frustrations in the technical committee set to pick a candidate in what they say is, “fear of the question of the MoU.”

Kalonzo’s sentiments come on the backdrop of a vehement denial by his party that he is bolting out of NASA. Earlier, Mombasa senator Hassan Omar argued that the sentiments by Nyenze did at no pint represent Musyoka’s mind. The party had tasked the embattled Nyenze to apologise and retract.