National Super Alliance

The National Super Alliance, known by the abbreviation NASA, was a Kenyan political coalition of opposition centre-left parties that was formed in January 2017. The coalition was created to oppose President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto in the 2017 general elections.[3] Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka, Moses Wetangula and Isaac Ruto were the co-principals of the coalition.[4]

National Super Alliance
LeaderWycliffe Musalia Mudavadi
General SecretaryNorman Magaya
Deputy LeaderStephen Kalonzo Musyoka
PrincipalRaila Amolo Odinga
PrincipalMoses Wetangula
Founded11 January 2017
Dissolved26 August 2021
Succeeded byAzimio la Umoja
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left[1][2]
Members
Colours 
National Assembly
125 / 349
Senate
28 / 67
Governors
18 / 47

The alliance included the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the Wiper Democratic Movement (Wiper), Forum for the Restoration of Democracy – Kenya (FORD–Kenya), the Amani National Congress (ANC),[5][6] Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM), the National Rainbow Coalition, the Progressive Party of Kenya, Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU) and the Muungano Party (MP).

The NASA co-principals decided to abandon the coalition after alleged mistrust, betrayal, and competing ambitions among the members.[7] The coalition was dissolved after Wiper, CCM and FORD–Kenya wrote to the office of the registrar of political parties with intention to withdraw from the coalition. Article 15 (1) of the Coalition Agreement stated that the coalition shall be dissolved when any three of the member parties decide to leave the coalition.[8] Kenya's registrar of political parties, Ann Nderitu, confirmed NASA's dissolution on 26 August 2021.

Candidates

The NASA Coalition's presidential candidate for the 2017 general election was Raila Odinga, and the candidate for deputy-president was Kalonzo Musyoka.[9][10]

Odinga and Musyoka ran under the National Super Alliance. Thus, their political parties, ODM and Wiper respectively, opted to field their own candidates for other political positions.[11] The other political parties in the coalition also fielded candidates for various electoral positions. Thus, "NASA candidates" did not technically exist.

Of all the principals, only Musalia Mudavadi did not run for electoral office. He instead ran the NASA National Campaign Committee. Odinga and Musyoka ran for president and deputy president respectively, Wetangula ran for Bungoma County senator, and Isaac Ruto ran for governor of Bomet County.[12]

Manifesto

The NASA Coalition launched a six-point manifesto prior to the 2017 elections that focuses on

  • Food security
  • 'Progressive values' (democracy, affirmative action, freedom of the media, transparency, rule of law, and public participation)
  • Dealing with cartels
  • Kenya's debt burden
  • Job creation
  • Healthcare
  • Affordable education

The manifesto borrowed heavily from that by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy, for which Odinga and Musyoka were the candidates for president and deputy president in the 2013 general election.[13]

References
  1. Lid, Stian; Clifford Collins Omondi Okwany (18 June 2020). "Protecting the Citizenry—or an Instrument for Surveillance? The Development of Community-oriented Policing in Kenya". Journal of Human Security. 16 (2): 44–54. doi:10.12924/johs2020.16020044. ISSN 1835-3800. The minority centre/left coalition grouping, National Super Alliance (NASA), supports the constitutional arrangement of security structure and CCOP, dismissing NK as government policy for policing the citizenry.
  2. "Global Elections Round-Up: Last 12 Months". Fitch Solutions. 31 July 2018.
  3. Ndungu, Tonny. "Raila goes for Uhuru's jugular by forming a super alliance of six parties- details". Tuko.co.ke — Kenya news. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  4. Ngetich, Jacob. "Super alliance will be ready by December to send Uhuru home, Opposition leaders vow". The Standard. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  5. Ngetich, Jacob. "Amani National Congress meets to map coalition". The Standard. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  6. "Jubilee fears NVP, Kanu, Mashinani party could deny DP Ruto control of Rift Valley ahead of 2017 polls". The Star, Kenya. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  7. Otieno, Brian. "Mistrust, betrayal among leaders pushed NASA party to its death". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  8. "NASA Officially Dissolve". Kenya News Agency. 27 August 2021.
  9. KTN News Kenya (2017-02-22), National Super Alliance NASA Flagbearer found, retrieved 2017-04-27
  10. "[VIDEO] Raila named NASA flag bearer, Kalonzo deputy in August poll line up". The Star, Kenya. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  11. Sanga, Benard. "Wiper to field candidates against ODM for all Coast seats, says Senator Omar". The Standard. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  12. Onyango, Protus. "Musalia Mudavadi confirmed as NASA campaign supremo". The Standard. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  13. "Nasa launches six-point manifesto". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.