Raila Odinga’s swearing-in is still on despite efforts from different quarters to stop the oath plan.
This is according to NASA protégées who on Wednesday maintained that efforts by government to sabotage the inauguration bid for Raila and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka will not stop the course.
Early this week, the Nairobi County government issued a permit to the Nairobi Business Community to hold a free medical camp at Uhuru Park on January 30.
This was the venue for Raila’s swearing-in on January 30.
In response, NASA CEO Norman Magaya said that they will not be cowed by this “blackmail”.
“We are exercising civil disobedience, we do not recognise any edicts of the Jubilee government and its appendages, which include this purported notice from Nairobi county. We completely denounce it and will proceed as though there has been no such notice,” fired Magaya according to the Star.
Dr Noah Akala, the head of NASA People’s Assembly Secretariat said they will not change the venue. “We are not changing the venue because we never announced the venue in the first place.”
On Tuesday, the Attorney General Prof Githu Muigai petitioned the High Court in declaring NASA’s People’s Assemblies unlawful and unconstitutional.
This prompted reaction from the police who said that they will not provide security to the planned oath ceremony because it is illegitimate.
Police Spokesperson Charles Owino said that, “The person the IEBC and the Supreme Court declared and confirmed is President Uhuru Kenyatta, so any other process that comes now in law is illegitimate.”
“We cannot provide security to an illegitimate process. We are officers of the law and work strictly within the law.”
However, Akala said this is a violation of the Bill of Rights because they require police protection as stipulated in the Public Order Act.
“The only requirement [to have a meeting] is to issue notification to the police within 24 hours of an event, according to the Public Order Act. We are still within that time frame and the people should take it easy,” he said.
Fiery lawyer-cum-politician Miguna Miguna alleged that militia is being trained to sabotage NASA’s event. But, he added, this will not cow them.
“I understand Mungiki are being trained in Kiambu County to come and attack people at Uhuru Park, presumably to forcefully circumcise Luos and members of other ethnic communities. This is my message to NASA supporters: you have a right to self-defence,” Miguna scoffed.
Akala added: “If a criminal organisation is allowed by the state to perambulate within our capital city unchecked, then we have no choice but to advise our supporters to take necessary measures to ensure their own personal security.”