Only two days have passed since “NASA/Pentagon II” held a meeting at The Bomas of Kenya and promised us a mammoth gathering on 27/4 at Uhutu Park during which they’d make a major announcement.
ODM has decided that that meeting alone will not be enough:
[SIZE=6]ODM meeting on Raila signals NASA flagbearer[/SIZE]
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ODM has once again given indicated that its party boss Raila Odinga would fly the NASA presidential flag and convened a huge meeting to anoint him.
The Orange Party is set to hold a National Delegates Convention on May 4 for the nomination of Raila as the ODM presidential flagbearer.
Although the party nomination is a ritual envisaged in law, the timing of the convention is quite telling.
This is because the NASA Pentagon is officially set to unveil its line-up on Thursday next week that will face-off with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
This means Raila’s ODM anointment will come exactly one week after NASA officially names its line-up.
In a statement to newsrooms yesterday, Orange House said all party organs, including ODM delegates countrywide, are expected to attend the convention.
“The main agenda for the event will be the nomination of the ODM presidential candidate,” ODM director of communication Philip Etale said.
The event would take place at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani gymnasium.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang’ula had been nominated by their respective parties for the presidency.
On Thursday at the Bomas of Kenya, the NASA captains failed to name the flagbearer and instead called for what it termed “a million man and woman” gathering at the historic Uhuru Park Grounds on April 27, where the NASA line-up will be revealed.
Two weeks ago, ODM and ANC officials engaged in a nasty war of words, with the latter accusing Raila’s party of “bad manners, acting in bad faith” and employing “dirty propaganda leaks”.
This was after ODM secretary general Agnes Zani said the NASA National Coordinating Committee had endorsed Raila as the opposition flagbearer with Kalonzo as his deputy.
Amani’s Musalia Mudavadi was allegedly designated as chief minister while Wetang’ula was to be the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Sources, however, told the Star that Raila could in fact be the NASA man to face off with Uhuru.
“It’s Musalia and Wetang’ula who pleaded with Kalonzo to let Raila be the candidate. So essentially, Raila was the compromise candidate,” a source familiar with the behind-the-scene intrigues told the Star.
Kalonzo allies had previously vowed its either the former Vice President is named flagbearer or NASA is dead.
Permit me to predict reactions from ka-Wiper and Phandom tomorrow denouncing Zani and the ODM officials, demanding a retraction. JaKuon will not respond, but you’ll see another fake show of brotherhood followed by acrimony once again, in an endless and now familiar cycle.