By Martin Minns

According to The Star newspaper it’s on, it’s for definite, it’s in the bag, Kalonzo Musyoko will join his leader (or is that ‘co-principal?) Raila Odinga in taking an oath as the ‘Deputy People’s President’ on February 28 in Uhuru Park.

Hang on a minute, no it’s not…

Read the The Standard today and a ‘close ally’ of Musyoka’s, none other than Wiper deputy leader Farah Maalim, stated in a TV interview that Kalonzo will not will not take the oath.

WHEN THINGS FALL APART

Maalim supposedly said that “NASA is on its last legs”, is falling apart and that major cracks are appearing in the coalition in the aftermath of the first ‘swearing-in’ of Raila Odinga on January 30. He didn’t mention ‘splitting’ but you get the picture.

The Standard says it all goes back to when the three co-leaders ‘skipped the event’ (Raila’s swearing-in). It seems their absence raised queries about their unity. You don’t say.

According to Maalim, Kalonzo, Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula and leader of the Amani National Congress Musalia Mudavadi, all erstwhile ‘Co-principals’ with Raila Odinga, have their eyes set on a new political coalition with which to win the 2002 election. (Heaven help us, they’ve already started the next election due in four years time!)

KALONZO – “HOW I WISH…”

Wait one! That can’t be right. Back to The Star.

No, Kalonzo is really so very keen to take the oath – honest. “How I wish I was able to take it now” he is reported to have said (or is that pleaded?).

The Wiper leader has faced derision ever since he failed to turn up to Odinga’s oath-taking ceremony. Some called him a water melon, others said he was a coward and this is coming from his own side don’t forget, or what was until recently his side, or might still be his side, or not…

Perhaps it’s because Kalonzo cried in public that opened him up to such ridicule.

But Wetang’ula and Mudavadi weren’t there either. Neither was Mrs Odinga, who cried off at the last minute. Nor were many MPs, or Senators and Governors.

Come to think of it, the crowd of some 15,000 that witnessed the swearing-in on January 30 was about 985,000 short of the 1 million that the organisers had rashly said would turn up.

THERE ARE A FEW ISSUES TO SORT OUT…

“Taking the oath is not an issue”, Kalonzo was quoted as saying, “We are not cowards”.

According to Mutula Kilonzo, Senator for Makueni (beware, don’t get your Kalonzos mixed up with your Kilonzos), “There are a few issues they are sorting out as principals first, but he will be sworn in”.

Apparently it’s all being sorted out at ‘NASA’s summit level’. That worked well before..

However, although one of Kalonzo’s lieutenants confirmed that the oath plan was to go ahead, he ‘remained cagey on the finer details’, reported The Star.

It’s not going to happen, is it…