NASA leaders threaten to use secret weapon to ensure demands are addressed

Siaya Senator James Orengo addresses residents of Siaya town while campaigning for NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga

National Super Alliance (NASA) leaders have threatened to use a “secret weapon” to ensure their demands are addressed ahead of the repeat presidential election.

Siaya Senator James  Orengo Friday said they will unleash the weapon, which he did not name, to deal with Jubilee should the party “collude” with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to interfere with the election.

Political battle

Speaking on Thursday in Rarieda Constituency, Orengo and five MPs from Siaya County laughed off threats by President Uhuru Kenyatta to impeach NASA flag-bearer Raila Odinga if he is elected president, telling him to prepare for a political battle both in and out of Parliament.

“We have many constitutional options in dealing with Jubilee even if we don’t attend Parliament,” said Orengo, a key figure in NASA’s strategy team.

The MPs insisted that IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba must be sacked if the repeat election is to be free and fair.

They said of all the nine demands that NASA presented to the electoral commission, the bare minimum is that the officers must go home.

“We still have constitutional alternatives and we are not going to be intimidated in our fight for a better country,” Orengo said.

The sentiments were shared by MPs Otiende Amollo (Rarieda), Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja), Samuel Atandi (Alego-Usonga) and Woman Representative Christine Ombaka, who said NASA will not agree to anything less than a credible election.

“Should Jubilee insist that we go to the election with the same team that messed up the previous one, then will use all constitutional options to ensure we have an election that meets the standards of democracy,” Otiende said.

He said it was unconstitutional for Jubilee leaders to attempt to remove Chief Justice David Maraga from office simply because they are angry that the Supreme Court invalidated the presidential election.

Wandayi claimed that President Kenyatta was planning to amend the Constitution should he be re-elected to allow him to be in power for a longer period.

“Uhuru has no legitimacy to lead this country and if by any chance he gets the mandate again, he will change the Constitution from a two-term presidency to a dictatorial administration,” Wandayi said.

Revolutionary mode

He said the Supreme Court ruling has set the country into a revolutionary mode and told the Jubilee administration to continue demeaning Raila at its peril.

Alego-Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, who accused President Uhuru of perpetuating tribalism, said they will not allow any discussion that borders on ethnicity in Parliament.

“The President’s love for tribalism has reached intolerable levels and Parliament will turn into a battle ground should such discussions be brought before us,” Atandi said.