Senior lawyers and political analysts have expressed mixed reactions following the revelation by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s 2017 deal with ODM leader Raila Odinga.
This comes just hours after the former vice president revealed that the ODM leader had signed an agreement that required him to support the Wiper leader in the 2022 polls irrespective of the 2017 election outcome.
“By this agreement, the parties agree that principal H (Raila Odinga) will be NASA’s presidential nominee and that principal Q (Kalonzo Musyoka) will be his running mate,
“This agreement will remain valid until the 2022 elections whether or not NASA wins the 2017 presidential elections,” Kalonzo said.
However, according to city lawyer Donald Kipkorir, who is allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake partner Raila Odinga, the ODM leader has not in any way breached their National Super Alliance deal 2017.
He argued that the deal was that Raila would support the Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka in 2022 only if he won in the last General Election.
“These are the principal terms Baba haters won’t tell you … Baba (Raila Odinga) coyly only have breached it if he had been elected President … And Kalonzo didn’t have the consent of the other signatories to publish the deal,” Donald said in this tweet.
His comments were echoed by lawyer Steve Ogola who said that the 2017 NASA agreement has no force of law.
He further opined that Kalonzo, a senior counsel, cannot compel Raila to support his 2022 presidential bid since the One Kenya Alliance cannot legally enter into a coalition with Raila’s Azimio la Umoja.
“Kalonzo Musyoka is mistaken in the law. The NASA Agreement has no force of law. Importantly, OKA Coalition cannot legally enter into a coalition with AZIMIO Coalition. There is no legal framework for coalition groups to enter into a legally binding Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Alliance Grand Coalition,” he said in a Tweet.
On his part, senior counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi indirectly took a swipe at the ODM leader for appearing to have not shown a clear indication that he will honor his 2017 covenant with the Wiper leader Kaonzo Musyoka.
“In releasing the 2017 agreement in which Raila covenants to support Kalonzo Musyoka for the 2022 Presidential elections whether or not he wins the 2017 elections, Musyoka has gained the high moral ground and shows he is a man of honor. The opposite is true for Raila,” he said.
Political analyst Edward Kisian’gani, a strong ally of William Ruto, said that Kalonzo’s revelations paint Raila Odinga as a dishonest man and who should not be allowed anywhere near the presidency.
it is worth noting that Raila Odinga and William Ruto are the two front-runners in the upcoming August 2022 presidential election.
Herman Manyora, another political analyst but who is allied to Raila Odinga dismissed Kalonzo’s claims saying the NASA agreement is no longer valid considering the coalition was formally ended with the withdrawal of Ford Kenya as well as Amani National Congress led by Miusalia Mudavadi.
Journalist and lawyer David Makali who regularly comments on political matters weighed in on the matter, telling Herman Manyora that Kalonzo Musyoka was simply saying it is not right for ODM to endorse Raila to vie for the presidency while forgetting their is an existing debt to be paid by Raila to Kalonzo.
