Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka on Tuesday shocked many of NASA supporters after he appeared to abandon former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the plans to swear him in on January 30.
Speaking in parliament buildings flanked by several Kisii MPs, the NASA legislator said he recognises Uhuru Kenyatta as the President of the Republic of Kenya.
"The President of Kenya is Uhuru Kenyatta. If you look at the law, Uhuru was sworn in and handed the instruments of power. He is the head of the police and Commander in Chief of the Kenyan Defence Forces. He is in charge of the Kenyan currency and he is the President," Onyonka declared.
The Ford Kenya MP said though he may have had reservations about how the presidential elections were conducted, he does not have a problem with recognising Kenyatta as the President.
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He distanced himself from the majority of MPs including National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi who support plans of swearing-in Odinga on January 30.
The Kisii leaders thanked President Kenyatta for retaining Dr Fred Matiangi in his cabinet.
Onyancha's statement is likely to further widen cracks within the already volatile NASA coalition whose MPs have been complaining public over the sharing of key house positions in parliament.
Last Friday in an address to the nation, President Kenyatta retained Cabinet secretaries Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Charles Keter (Energy), Najib Balala (Tourism), Henry Rotich (Treasury), Joe Mucheru (ICT) and James Macharia (Transport).
He at the same time appointed new CSs who include Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko, former Marsabit governor Ukur Yatani and former Turkana Senator John Munyes.