A recent heavy Twitter exchange between NRM Kenya General Dr. Miguna Miguna and renowned economist Dr. David Ndii has revealed fresh details on the events leading up to the controversial swearing-in of ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga as the “People’s President” on the 30th of January, 2018.
It all started after Miguna Miguna accused Ndii of supporting Raila Odinga who “has gone to bed” with those they were fighting against. Adding that Ndii would not join a Miguna-led revolutionary quest due to his political inclination.
He supports the #HandChieth con-men who are in bed with those we are fighting against. You are naive to expect him to join us in a revolutionary quest.
— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) March 25, 2019
A social media user then requested that Dr. Ndii and Dr. Miguna form a think-tank to liberate Kenya and its people from “cannibalism” instead of engaging in constant, meaningless spats online.
Actually what I would suggest is for dr. @DavidNdii and dr. @MigunaMiguna to form a thinktank to liberate Kenya and Kenyans from self cannibalism. We need such minds working for a common vision.
— Mr.Critic (@GizeGizee) March 25, 2019
Quick in his response, Miguna said that they had previously formed something similar but Dr. Ndii fled from it when NRM Kenya was formed, adding that the economist violently opposed Raila Odinga’s swearing in, arguing that NASA should not seek power.
We did that already but @DavidNdii fled from it when we formed the NRMKe and sought to remove the despots from power. He violently opposed the swearing in and said that NASA should not seek power. You need to read TREASON: The Case Against Tyrants & Renegades.
— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) March 25, 2019
This seemed to heavily trigger David Ndii who hit back and informed Miguna that their disagreement was on his idea of swearing in Raila Odinga in Dar es Salaam and Congo. Reminding the former Nairobi Gubernatorial aspirant that his attempt to record a “Besigye style” swearing in inside businessman Jimi Wanjigi’s house failed.
Ndii added that Miguna was not part of the group that planned Raila Odinga’s 30th January swearing-in event.
Give me a break. We disagreed about your idea of swearing Raila in Dar and Congo. You tried to record a Besigye style swearing in at Wanjigi’s house. Failed. You were not part of planning the 30th event. Did you have a brief deflate the swearing in, or its just incompetence?
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) March 25, 2019
At this point of the exchange, another social media user questioned why Miguna constantly refers to Raila Odinga as a “fraud” yet he ardently wanted him the Kenyan President and even administered oath during his swearing-in ceremony.
Why should @MigunaMiguna refer to a @RailaOdinga as a fraud when he ardently wanted him the Kenyan president… Funny..He must be an intellectual fraud too.
— Waliuba Gilbert Nakiboli (@VERSORIUM1) March 26, 2019
Ndii replied and made it clear that Miguna was only after power. He went on to say that this was the main reason behind their disagreement on the swearing-in strategy; adding that Miguna was pushing Raila Odinga to take official oath outside the country and demand official recognition from exile.
Miguna wanted power, thats why we disagreed on the swearing on strategy. He was pushing Raila to take official oath outside the country and demanding international recognition from exile. 1/6
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) March 26, 2019
Ndii says that he told Miguna two things. One, that NASA was a “broad based political coalition” and not a revolutionary movement. Two, that his idea was a “Besigye strike” — a blow and dry strategy that he totally disagreed with in principle.
I told him 2 things. (i) that was a Besigye strike-a-blow-and-die strategy that I totally disagreed with in principle (2) NASA was a broad based political coalition, not a revolutionary movement, 2/6
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) March 26, 2019
According to Ndii, the swearing-in for them (NASA) was part of a broader mass action strategy which they would only perform after building consensus in the coalition and that at that point, Miguna “bellowed” the words, “You people don’t want power! ” at him. His reply was “True, we want change”.
Ndii says that their last argument with Miguna over the swearing-in was interrupted by a phone call from Raila Odinga who was then in Germany. After Miguna explained his strategy to Baba, he sounded “apprehensive” and insisted the idea needed to be thought through.
swearing in for us was part of a broader mass action strategy, which we would only do after building consensus in the coalition. At this point he bellowed at me: “you people don’t want power”, and I replied, “true, we want change”. 3/6
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) March 26, 2019
As fate would have it, Raila called him from Germany as we were arguing, Miguna outlined the plan of swearing him in Dar. Raila sounded quite apprehensive—said it needed to be “thought through.” That was our last conversation on swearing in. 4/6
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) March 26, 2019
He adds that from that point, Miguna went off to do his “revolution thing” and he, together with the rest, went to build grassroot consensus with the People’s Assemblies only for Miguna to show up in Kilifi where he was stopped by police in Mtwapa.
In his final tweet, Ndii says that there was an impromptu swearing-in planned by Miguna and that it thankfully didn’t happen. Finishing off by saying their next encounter with Miguna was at Uhuru Park on the 30th of January 2018, an event he continues to claim “full and exclusive credit”.
He went off to do his revolution thing, and we went of to do ours i.e. building grassroot consensus with the People’s Assemblies. He showed up in Kilifi only to be (conveniently?) stopped by police at Mtwapa. 5/6
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) March 26, 2019
We learned that there was an impromptu swearing in planned. Thankfully it did not happen. Next encounter was when he showed up at Uhuru Park on 30th, for which he continues to claim full and exclusive credit. 6/6
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) March 26, 2019
