Khalwale issues tough demand to Raila Odinga
Khalwale and Wetangula skipped a crucial event held by Raila Odinga last Friday.
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In an opinion published on Monday by a local daily, Mr Khalwale, the Deputy Party leader of Ford Kenya – one of the members of Nasa coalition – has told Mr Odinga to honour what he termed as a 12-member committee resolution in which he was to vie for presidency once.
“I was on the 12-member committee that drafted the legally binding document, which was signed by all the principals and filed at the office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
“As a gentleman who has for decades spoken against injustice of any nature and fought for fairness and rule of law, Raila Odinga and ODM should excuse themselves and let NASA affiliate parties produce a presidential candidate for 2022,” the former Senator said.
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The sentiments by Khalwale comes amid rising tension in the Opposition, after three of the principals skipped the swearing-in ceremony in which Mr Odinga was inaugurated as the People’s President in a mock ceremony at Uhuru Park, Nairobi.
ALSO READ: Raila speaks on troubles in NASA
Last Friday, both Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya leader) and his deputy Boni Khalwale conspicuously missed an important event which was hosted by the coalition’s affiliate party (ODM) at Orange House. Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi were at the event, in which Mr Odinga, termed as normal sibling rivalry, the cracks in Nasa.
"I hear people saying wiper is fighting with ODM, ANC, Wiper, Ford Kenya ... tuko katika ile nyumba ya kienyeji ambapo kuna nyumba mingi. Wakati mwingine wabunge huvurutana ... hiyo siyo kuonyesha Nasa inasambaratika,” Raila told delegates in the meeting.
Loosely translated: “We are in the traditional set up with many houses; parliamentarians sometimes wrangle ... that doesn't mean Nasa is crumbling."
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Raila added: "Hata pale unapoishi na bibi sio furaha kila siku. Hayo ni maisha na yanaonyesha demokrasia (Even with wives, happiness is not the case every day. Such is life ... it shows democracy)."
Mischievous
Dr Khalwale has dismissed calls for having Raila on the ballot for the 2022 election as mischievous, adding that the coalition should consider having another candidate, not Raila on the ballot.
“As a man of his word, why would he, for instance, take for granted the fact that Wiper leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, has supported him for a decade without faltering.
Those calling for Raila to go ahead and run for president in 2022 are mischievous individuals who don’t care about NASA’s main dream and goal of liberating Kenyans from the woes the Jubilee administration has subjected them to,” he wrote.
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Meanwhile, Wiper Party bigwigs have ruled out the possibility of Kalonzo Musyoka taking the oath as people’s deputy president.
Led by former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama and former Cabinet Minister Titus Mbathi, the Wiper leaders told Mr Musyoka that it was pointless for him to take the oath as it had no political value. They instead asked him to revamp the Wiper Party in readiness for the 2022 election.
“Why would you be sworn in just for the sake of it and yet you will not bring home any State power that can help your supporters after the event?” Mr Mbathi told Mr Musyoka to his face during the leaders’ meeting held at Stoni Athi Resort in Machakos county on Thursday.
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