NASA tells MPs to attend swearing-in session

NASA principals Kalonzo Musyoka (left), Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi.  The coalition has allowed its members in the National Assembly and Senate to take oath of office. Jonah Onyango, Standard

Legislators allied to the National Super Alliance (NASA) will attend Thursday's swearing-in after rescinding a threat to skip the key ceremony. 

The Opposition legislators Wednesday held a Parliamentary Group meeting where they unanimously resolved to present themselves to take the oath of office and also participate in the election of House speakers.

Last Friday, NASA held its first Parliamentary Group meeting and postponed the decision only a day after Suna East MP-elect Junet Mohamed had issued a statement saying they would skip the ceremony until the Supreme Court made a determination on the presidential election.

But following a three-hour meeting attended by NASA principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang'ula Wednesday, the more than 100 legislators from both the Senate and National Assembly said they would honour the event.

Legal requirement

Sources indicate that the majority of MPs were not in support of the boycott while those who would have wanted to stay away were advised that it was a legal requirement.

Lawyers advised the MPs that the swearing-in was mandatory and that even if they did not attend today's session, the election of the speaker would still proceed.

The law requires that a speaker must get two-thirds of the votes in the first round thus any failure by NASA to attend the session would compel the election to proceed to a second round, which requires only a simple majority.