The death of the once-powerful National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition is now imminent. This is following a formal exit declaration by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said on Thursday that the party had resolved to pull out of the coalition during a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at Villa Rosa Kempinski hotel in Nairobi.
The SG said the exit frees ODM to engage in coalition talks with other like-minded parties.
“We intend to embark on a programme to build new partnerships and extend the ongoing talks with our potential partners to the grassroots,” said Sifuna.
The party is now expected to write to the Registrar of Political Parties to formalise the divorce.
ODM becomes the second party to withdraw from the NASA coalition after Wiper’s exit on Monday.
According to the NASA agreement, the coalition stands dissolved if three affiliate parties leave.
Read: ODM Explains Why They Have Been Denying Former Coalition Members Political Parties Funds
Other NASA coalition partners include Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), Ford Kenya of Moses Wetangula and Isaac Rutto’s Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM).
Already, Mudavadi and Wetangula are said to be on their way out of NASA to build One Kenya Alliance (OKA) that also includes Gideon Moi of KANU.
While announcing Wiper’s exit from NASA on Monday, Kalonzo Musyoka, the party leader, said he was keen on forming a bigger coalition, OKA.
He invited ODM leader Raila Odinga to join the ‘course’.
“We have unanimously agreed to exit Nasa and form a bigger coalition, OKA. We are killing Nasa but not killing other parties like ODM. We want to work with ODM, Jubilee and other parties. We welcome other parties because we in OKA will form the next government,” Kalonzo said.
Read Also: Raila’s NASA Allies to Get Sh153 Million after Protracted Row Over Parties Funds
NASA had fronted Raila for the presidency during the 2017 General Election. The coalition, however, lost to the ruling Jubilee party led by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Power struggles largely contributed to the death of NASA with affiliate parties accusing Raila’s ODM party of shortchanging them in the distribution of parties funds.
Raila, Kalonzo and Mudavadi are eyeing the presidency in 2022.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874. You can also find us on Telegram through www.t.me/kahawatungu