Raila: We've full confidence in David Ndii and Norman Magaya
Nasa leader Raila Odinga. “We wish to make it clear that as a coalition, we have full confidence in Dr Ndii and Mr Magaya who have dedicated time and resources working for Nasa’s cause,” he says. PHOTO | SIMON MAINA | AFP
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But Mr Odinga, in a statement, on Monday said that the allegations should be ignored.
“We wish to make it clear that as a coalition, we have full confidence in Dr Ndii and Mr Magaya who have dedicated time and resources working for Nasa’s cause,” Mr Odinga said.
“The allegations against the two, if at all they were made, are very unfortunate and detrimental to the cause we are pursuing.”
National Super Alliance (Nasa) principal Raila Odinga has dismissed as “unfortunate and detrimental to the cause” allegations made by fiery lawyer Miguna Miguna against strategists David Ndii and Norman Magaya.
In a letter he wrote from Toronto, Canada, where the government deported him last week following his role in commissioning Mr Odinga’s ‘oath’ as the people’s president, Dr Miguna claimed that the duo were working to sabotage his resistance movement over which he has declared himself the general.
SWEARING-IN
“Ndii opposed the swearing-in and threatened to lead a walkout from Nasa of Kalonzo (Musyoka) et al. Ndii shouted at me and made the threats in person in my house,” Dr Miguna said in the letter, posted on his 300,000-member verified Facebook page.
But Mr Odinga, in a statement, on Monday said that the allegations should be ignored.
“We wish to make it clear that as a coalition, we have full confidence in Dr Ndii and Mr Magaya who have dedicated time and resources working for Nasa’s cause,” Mr Odinga said.
“The allegations against the two, if at all they were made, are very unfortunate and detrimental to the cause we are pursuing.”
Dr Ndii had himself owned up to the disagreements in the coalition over the swearing-in skipped by co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, and Moses Wetang’ula, but said that the discussion was only on the how, not whether it should happen.
“We disagreed on how, not whether. I opposed other schemes such as swearing-in outside the country, or in a secret ceremony (Ugandan opposition leader Kizza) Besigye style and insisted on a broad consensus and public participation, which is how we did it,” Dr Ndii said in a text message to the Nation.
NRM
On Mr Magaya, Dr Miguna said that the vocal lawyer was a Jubilee agent in Nasa.
“Norman Magaya is actively working for Jubilee. He took Sh30million to withdraw the petition against (Nairobi Governor Mike) Sonko in retaliation for his failed nomination to Eala,” Dr Miguna said, referring to Mr Magaya’s botched bid to be East African Legislative MP.
“He (Mr Magaya) had vowed to “revenge against Raila” after that. H.E. Raila Odinga himself told me about it.”
But Mr Magaya, without going into the specifics of the allegations, said that he was focused on working for Nasa, and that “I do not need to justify anything.”
“Nasa supporters know who I am. They know what I stand for. They know my principles. They have been with me for 8 years. They know it all. I don’t need to justify anything,” Mr Magaya said.
Dr Miguna’s letter was a genesis of his anger at what he said was an attempt by Dr Ndii and Mr Magaya to “purport to speak on behalf of the NRM” in a conference call with the Kenyan Diaspora, a web-based television.
5 DAYS
“Neither of you have called or texted me to show solidarity since I was released and forcefully removed from Kenya. I’ve keenly watched videos and read media reports of the campaign for my release and I have noted, with interest, your singular silence about me,” Dr Miguna tells the duo in the letter.
“It’s as if you were celebrating about the flagrant abuse of my rights with the Jubilee despots! That’s extremely unfortunate!”
He rubbished as a bad move an intention by the duo to appoint acting NRM leaders in his absence, saying such a resistance movement gets leaders who emerge not appointed.
Dr Miguna also opposed a plan by the duo to unveil a constitution and the president’s council in the resistance movement.
“I have no idea what these are except to reiterate the point that movements aren’t NGOs or political parties and they don’t have written constitutions for very good reasons,” he says.
The lawyer, who was deported after being locked in different cells for five days, and later had the order revoked by the court which allowed him to return, asked Dr Ndii to “respect our respective jurisdictional mandates.”
“I detest very strongly the habitual opportunism and selfish cannibalism that your behaviours are symptomatic of . . . I’m beginning an NRMKe global tour next week. We would not tolerate any distractions from you,” the fiery lawyer wrote.
