President Uhuru Kenyatta's party to crack whip on defaulters

NYERI: The National Alliance (TNA) is contemplating taking radical action against "disrespectful" members for failure to honour their monthly financial pledges to the party.

The party has summoned a number of members of county assembly (MCAs) for "refusing to financially support the party that sponsored them".

The party said the MCAs are being held responsible and would individually face its disciplinary committee. If found liable, they risk losing their seats.

TNA Executive Director Joseph Mathai (pictured) yesterday said all leaders elected on the party's ticket signed the 'I Believe Creed', which committed them to monthly contributions. Mathai said many MCAs, some governors and their deputies have not been honouring their pledges and action will be taken against them.

He said the party has very many obligations, among them paying rent, salaries for coordinators and conducting civic education, but lacked funds. "The funding we get from the Political Parties Fund is so meagre and so restrictive on expenditure that if we rely on the funds, we cannot implement our projects," said Mathai.

Mathai added: "Every political party depends on contributions from members and failing to contribute, especially after signing the party creed, is a disciplinary issue."

The executive director said the Party's Disciplinary Board will summon defaulters as soon it completes working on cases involving MPs and MCAs who have been summoned.

"Complying with party rules and regulations is mandatory and we are asking all Majority Leaders and party whips to assist us in ensuring that all members comply. I am being pushed by the National Oversight Board to deliver, and I must also ensure that everybody lives up to the commitments they made," Mathai said.

He said on the party's radar are two governors and a deputy governor who have not been paying Sh10,000 monthly.

Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Julius Njiiri said he is ready to face the disciplinary committee over the pending payments, saying he is financially strained to meet his part of the bargain. "Like any Kenyan, I'm also hit by the harsh economic conditions but will defend myself before the team when summoned and I'm sure they will understand," he said.

In Meru County, none of the 19 MCAs has ever contributed to the party kitty since they took office in 2013, said Mathai. "The truth of the matter is that we have tried to remind them to honour their obligation and even wrote them reminders but none has yielded," said TNA branch secretary Desmus Kithinji, who said they owed the party Sh87,000 by the end of last month.

According to Kithinji, there would be repercussions for failing to honour party obligations including denial of party tickets in the 2017 elections.

PAYMENT CONFUSION

Kiambu TNA Secretary General Solomon Ndung'u said many MCAs have flatly refused to pay. Speaking in Ruiru town, Ndung'u said it was sad to note only five out of the 87 MCAs in the county assembly were honouring their monthly contributions to the party.

Nominated MCAs Daisy Maitho and Catherine Waruguru were commended for remitting the monthly contributions. "It is unfortunate that we met and agreed that MCAs will be submitting Sh3,000 every month, MPs and Governors Sh10,000, but they have not done so," Ms Maitho.

However, an MCA who spoke The Standard and asked not to be named a said majority of them had not deliberately defaulted on payment but there was confusion on whether to pay to TNA or Jubilee Alliance Party. "We feel we might pay the money to TNA and also be made to pay similar amounts to JAP once the party is in place," the MCA said.