Betrayals, grudges and isolation: Muthama hits the rocky road to save NASA

NASA Leaders Hon. Raila Odinga and Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka at the burial of former Sen. Johnstone Muthama Aunt Christine Wausi in Tala, Matungula Constituency today. [FILE: DENNIS KAVISU/STANDARD]

Former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama has broken his silence and assumed the role of mending the broken pieces of Kenya's once formidable political force - the National Super Alliance.

During the opening of the privately-owned of Katani Hospital in Machakos County on Tuesday, which NASA leader Raila Odinga attended, Kalonzo called for formation of a summit to resuscitate the coalition now on its deathbed.

[Opinion is divided on whether NASA actually exists and therefore the validity of the assertion that Raila is its leader] 

Muthama heeded to this call and has taken the mantle of saving NASA after series of rebellions by coalition partners, specifically ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi and Ford-K’s Moses Wetang’ula who is also the Bungoma Senator. It is this duo that Muthama is reaching out to.

"I managed to talk to Wetang’ula and he is meeting me tomorrow (Wednesday) morning to explain to him what this is all about," Muthama told KTN News. He said his attempt to reach out to ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi has been unfruitful.

But ahead of the Muthama-Wetang’ula meeting are make-or-break obstacles.

Wetang’ula-Raila feud

It will obviously take Kofi Annan scale diplomacy to reconcile Wetang’ula and Raila. Sen. Wetang’ula has maintained that Raila relinquished his position as coalition's captain the moment he opted for reconciliation talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 2018.

"As far as I am concerned Raila is no longer in NASA. He has no business in affairs happening in NASA," Wetang’ula says.

He has followed this with a tweet bashing ODM leader on Wednesday morning, writing that Raila has never been consistent with his reasons for the handshake with Uhuru.

He posted:  "Omwami Raila don't let your memory fail you. Try and recall what you told us at Stony Athi meeting about your handshake and how you had kept it away from your NASA partners."

After emerging as a fierce defender of the coalition during the campaign period, Muthama alongside Senate Minority Leader James Orengo, Muthama emerged as a key NASA pillar.

This time he has been handed a duty to bring the principals together. Getting them on talking mood and rejuvenating the journey to Canaan.

While Wetang’ula calls NASA moribund outfit, Kalonzo and Mudavadi agree that there is dire need for strategic meetings to discuss the way forward.  

Raila has however rubbished any pause for alarm, maintaining that the coalition is as strong as before.

The question is: Will Muthama succeed in bringing the four principals who have been torn by events the handshake?

Just a month after the Uhuru-Raila reconciliation and Wetang’ula was about to be ousted as Senate Minority leader, which did happen with Siaya’s James Orengo replacing him, he fired a salvo at Raila:

"If anybody wants a divorce, it will be noisy, it will be messy, it will be unhelpful and it will have casualties."

Nasa Principals Moses Wetangula(left) Kalonzo Musyoka (centre) Musalia Mudavadi and Raila Odinga during a Nasa Summit at Stone Athi hotel in Machakos County. Can Senator Muthama revive their unity?-[Photo: Beverlyne Musili,Standard]

The remarks made on the floor of the Senate in April 2018 still ring loud.

Wetang’ula later on addressed a rally in Western Kenya where declared that regional elders had approached him to champion Luhya unity. During the rally, he labeled Raila as a traitor who misused other leaders such as Kalonzo Musyoka, Deputy President William Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi and himself.

Detached Mudavadi

Even as NASA fights to appease Wetang’ula's bubbling anger, another coalition partner, Musalia Mudavadi has declared himself not in words but by actions as the de facto opposition leader.

With legislators from sugar belt areas Musalia has pushed for the unmasking and prosecution of sugar barons threatening local industry with total collapse.

His confidante Barrack Muluka on Tuesday told the media that they will not rely on any person to tell them what to do.

 Muluka was alluding to an incident where Raila instructed Opposition legislators to pass Finance Bill 2018.

Kalonzo's hot and cold gestures

Despite calling for a dialogue to breathe life into the coalition, Mr Musyoka has exhibited misgivings on his relationship with Raila, the man with whom he charted political journey in 2017.

While Raila has in the past revealed that his running mate was aware of planned swearing in on March 30, and that he was to be at Uhuru Park; Kalonzo has said the contrary.

While being interviewed at a local TV station, Kalonzo said that Raila knew that he was averse to the oath taking and that he would not participate.

"The truth I, and this is factual, between Raila and I and that he was going to be taking that oath alone," Kalonzo said.

Nostalgic Kalonzo reveals how he laughed off Raila’s statement in a rally in Homa Bay prior to 'swearing in' at Uhuru Park when he declared that 'he was taking the journey on his own.'

One of the options on which Mr Muthama and Mr Kalonzo seem to agree on is to dissolve the outfit.