Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka asserts that there was no fallout in the NASA leadership, and attributed his absence during the swearing-in of coalition leader Raila Odinga to security concerns.
Musyoka alleged that his bodyguards were withdrawn and as a result of this, he and his co-principals Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula could not attend the ceremony.
Mr. Odinga took oath alone as the ‘president of the people’s republic’ on January 30 at Uhuru Park grounds, leaving thousands of Nasa supporters scratching their heads for answers on where Mr. Musyoka was when the former Prime Minister was being ‘sworn in’.
Odinga took his oath , cheered on by thousands of supporters who had gathered in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park.
“Today is a historic day for the people of Kenya,” Odinga said in a speech after taking his oath. “The people have gathered here in the hundreds of thousands to say enough is enough with the electoral rigging.
“Today’s step is one step towards the doing away with electoral autocracy and to establishing proper democracy in our country.”
However Miguna Miguna has revealed behind-the-scenes intrigues surrounding Raila’s mock oath of January 30, last year.
The accounts in his new book offer a glimpse into the fierce January 30 , Uhuru Park swearing in of Raila.
The gives accounts of how Raila engineered the removal of Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and an aggressive political onslaught against Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi as payback for skipping the Uhuru Park ceremony.
Miguna further reveals how Mombasa Governor Ali Joho, Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’ and Kisumu Woman Rep Rosa Buyu, tried to convince him to swear in Joho as Raila’s ‘deputy’ after Kalonzo Musyoka allegedly chickened out.
“As Raila was speaking, Joho, Buyu and Kajwang’ were pulling my jacket from behind and insisting that I should swear Joho in as Raila’s deputy,” he writes.
“I told them that I would not do it because that was not my instruction.”
He further narrates how, while at Raila’s Karen home in the evening after the swearing-in, the opposition chief instructed senators George Khaniri (Vihiga) and Cleophas Malala (Kakamega) to spearhead an onslaught against Wetang’ula and Mudavadi both in their Western backyard and Parliament.
“Meanwhile,” he (Raila) responded, looking at Malala and Khaniri, one after the other, “We must replace Musalia and Weta,” he writes.
“You,” he said pointing at Khaniri, “You should replace Musalia and Malala can replace Weta at the Senate…”
“Call a press conference tomorrow and disown them as cowards for failing to attend the swearing-in. I can ask Dennis (Onyango) to arrange a press conference. Then start antogonising them with the people in Western….” Raila added.
“Yes, Yes, Yes …. We can do that tomorrow,” Malala said.
Wetang’ula was consequently booted from the Senate Minority Leader post and the seat taken over by Siaya Senator James Orengo.
Malala was awarded deputy Senate Minority Leader while Khaniri was picked to the powerful Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) despite his sponsor party, ANC, not qualifying for a seat. Wetang’ula later fell out with Raila over the ouster and denounced the existence of the National Super Alliance.