NASA leader Raila Odinga has finally explained why he had to meet President Uhuru Kenyatta in secret to iron out the issues facing the country.
In an exclusive interview with the Nation, Odinga revealed that the meeting had to be done in secret because they did not want their respective political camps to scuttle the process.
Apparently, even DP William Ruto was informed of the development just a few minutes before the opposition chief and President Kenyatta stepped out of Harambee House.
“Every discussion must have a beginning. If I called you and said we should meet, you don’t always have to say that you must first consult someone else," he stated.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga"]
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He also accused the media of misreporting and exaggerating premature obituaries of NASA, assuring his supporters that the coalition is still intact despite the in-house wrangles.
Asked if he was the loser in the deal, Odinga laughed it off saying all the key NASA demands – electoral justice, judicial independence, restructuring the Executive, police reforms, strengthening devolution, tackling corruption, tribalism and exclusivity – were covered in the memorandum of understanding he signed with Mr Kenyatta.
The former Prime Minister, however, insisted that what happened so far were just 'talks about talks' rather than substantive negotiations.
He promised that all stakeholders will be included when the right time comes but there will be need to exercise caution to ensure that politicians with an eye on the next elections do not hijack the process.
There was talk that the NASA leader was negotiating a power-sharing deal but he affirmed that there was no such thing.
“We have said no to nusu mkate. We want real change," he asserted.
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