NASA retreat delayed over Eldoret rally

The National Super Alliance (NASA) retreat that had been scheduled to begin yesterday has been pushed to tomorrow.

The retreat was postponed to allow some members who form two committees tasked with formulating the modalities for choosing the coalition's presidential candidate to attend a rally in Eldoret.

Sources said the 12-member National Coordinating Committee (NCC) and the five-member technical committee will meet today in Nairobi to finalise plans for the retreat.

"They will meet to agree on the timetable of the activities ahead before they retreat, for three days, either to Naivasha, Mombasa or Machakos," the source said.

On Wednesday last week, ODM leader Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper, Ford Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula and Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress signed an agreement establishing NASA as a united Opposition bid to oust the Jubilee government in the August 8 General Election.

But the leaders are yet to agree on who will face President Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee as he seeks a second term.

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NCC, co-chaired by senators James Orengo (Siaya), Johnson Muthama (Machakos), Nambale MP Sakwa Bunyasi and his Tongaren counterpart Eseli Simiyu, and the technical team headed by lawyer Dan Ameyo and economist David Ndii, are set to start working on the best possible way to pick the Opposition presidential candidate.

Other members of the NCC are Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior, Kimilili MP Chris Wamalwa, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, nominated Senator Agnes Zani and Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire.

The team will also design a formula to guide sharing of power and nominations. The issue of how constituent parties will share out money the government gives to political parties will also be discussed during the retreat.

The NASA agreement stipulates that the coalition will field a single presidential candidate and running mate. The other two principals will get the positions of Speaker and Majority Leader, either in the National Assembly or Senate.

After agreeing on all these issues, NCC and the technical team will present their findings to the four principals who will then agree on who should be the presidential candidate and his running mate.

The principals have ruled out nominations and have settled on consensus to get the flag bearer.

Positions that will be shared are executive appointments, legislative offices and leadership positions in the National Assembly and Senate, among others. Constitutional and independent offices will not be subjected to power sharing.