Senator tells of Nasa ploy to get relevance

The National Super Alliance’s ongoing activities are meant to help its leaders maintain political relevance, says Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi.

This is especially so following their poor performance in the elections where they withdrew from the October 26 presidential race, with the majority of parliamentary and county seats won by Jubilee Party in the August 8 polls, he said.

The senator said the narrative by the Raila Odinga-led political outfit that their activities were aimed at pushing for reforms was a gimmick to hoodwink Kenyans, arguing that the sole intention “is to ensure that they don’t vanish from the political arena”.

According to Mr Wamatangi, the alleged agitation for reforms through formation of people’s assemblies – which he termed unconstitutional – economic sabotage and street protests were survival tactics to benefit a few individuals within Nasa.

PROTESTS

Other activities which Mr Wamatangi said Nasa has used to seek relevance include anti-IEBC protests, directives that MPs and senators boycott Parliament, push for irreducible minimum demands, election and economic boycott, and the push for people’s assemblies.

He said that if Nasa lawmakers and ward representatives were honest in their push for alleged reforms through people’s assemblies, which have been approved in some counties, they would first resign and forfeit their mandate.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Wamatangi said while Article 1 of the Constitution gives power to the people, Article 2 was clear that people can either express it directly or through elected representatives.

Therefore, an elected leader cannot be part of the said assemblies.

“An MCA cannot pretend to meet outside the assembly and purport to be passing laws,” he said.