Nasa leaders hold crisis meeting

A crisis meeting by Nasa principals Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula on Thursday helped avert an imminent split within the opposition following infighting over leadership positions in Parliament.

The meeting at Mr Mudavadi’s home on Riverside Drive in Nairobi saw the three principals hastily craft a formula on how to share out the seats following days of apprehension and ultimatums by Nasa constituent parties after it appeared that ODM, the largest party in the coalition had taken the bigger chunk of the slots.

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In the afternoon meeting, it was agreed that Mr Mudavadi’s ANC would take the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the National Assembly which has gone to Nambale MP Sakwa Bunyasi, and a seat in the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) which has been taken up by Vihiga Senator George Khaniri.

To appease the Coastal caucus comprising MPs from Mr Odinga’s ODM party, Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa was nominated to PSC and the vocal Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir named vice chairman of the Public Investment Committee (PIC).

Mr Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper took the Senate minority whip which was taken up by Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr and the National Assembly’s deputy minority leader’s slot which went to Kathiani MP Robert Mbui.

Sources at the meeting indicated that the principals were alarmed that continued interparty wrangling was giving their Jubilee opponents so much fodder to not only infiltrate the alliance but also distract them from their agenda.

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The following day, there was a twist when Mr Nassir withdrew the threats and claimed that Mr Odinga had contacted Coast MPs and they had agreed that the region would be given the minority whip’s position in the National Assembly, which had been given to Suna East MP Mohammed Junet.