The fate of the National Super Alliance (NASA), is hanging in the balance after a non-governmental organisation (NGO) moved to court seeking an injunction to stop the Opposition from using the acronym NASA.
Through city lawyer Sam Ogutu, the Northern Advocacy for Sustainable Agriculture wants the High Court to block the four NASA co-principals - Raila Odinga, Moses Wetangula, Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi - from registering the acronym as a political party.
Under a certificate of urgency, Mr Ogutu asked the court to block the four politicians from even uttering the name ‘NASA’ as the NGO is only entitled to enjoy its exclusive use and operations to the exclusion of the politicians.
Ogutu stated that the NGO had sufficient legal rights over NASA, and wants the four politicians forced to use another name for their political outfit.
He added that the court should issue a declaration to bar the four, their agents and supporters from using the word NASA as the official or unofficial name of the Opposition outfit pending the hearing and determination of the application.
The NGO insisted that it owned the rights to the name having been registered before the formation of the political umbrella that brought together the four leaders.
Ogutu noted that the NGO had invested heavily in the promotion of its flag and brand and was a fully operational and registered entity.
He demanded that the Registrar of Political Parties also be barred from registering NASA as a political grouping and injunctions be issued for the opposition to drop the name and slogan in its political rallies.
