As opposition we have betrayed the country, Mudavadi says

ANC Party leader Musalia Mudavadi says the opposition led by ODM leader Raila Odinga, has let down the country by failing to undertake its mandate of ensuring the government is kept in check.

As Kenya this week marks 10 years since the promulgation of the current Constitution, Mudavadi maintains that the country is currently “not living up to the spirit and word of the constitution.”

Citing the state of affairs in Parliament, the ANC leader argues that the opposition is “flirting with the government” and does not know whether to sit on the Minority or Majority side of the House.

“I am from the opposition. I sit here and I feel that we have let down the country. By and large in Parliament today, the opposition does not know whether to sit on the minority or majority side. We are trying to have the best of both worlds,” said Mudavadi, in a Citizen TV interview on Sunday.

“The Constitution envisaged a scenario where there are proper checks and balances… government cannot oversight itself. That is why the watchdog committees are always the preserve of the opposition. But if the opposition is flirting with government then we have lost it and therefore we are not living up to the spirit and word of the constitution.”

Mudavadi further added that the National Super Alliance (NASA) which brought together ODM, ANC, Wiper and Ford-Kenya Parties had let down millions of their supporters by abandoning its agenda soon after the last election.

“We came in as NASA. We had millions of people following us. Our dream and their dream was embedded in NASA. Good governance, rule of law, constitutionalism, sound economy, need to fight graft… these were the positions we sold to the people. But right now without blinking I can tell you a lot of NASA followers are very upset with us,” said Mudavadi.

The ANC leader described himself as the last person standing in terms of opposition, stating that “I’m the one who speaks to the concerns that are emerging. I have constantly said we cannot have it both ways.”