TNA battles leadership woes in bid to check Opposition

TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja (centre), deputy secretary general Lydia Matwa (left) and Wachera Karanja, chief whip Kirinyaga County, during a strategy meeting in Naivasha yesterday. [PHOTO: GOVEDI ASUTSA/ STANDARD]

By MWANIKI MUNUHE

The cracks within President Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) grew further yesterday with battles taking shape between the current party leadership and a majority of current MPs.

But even as the management of funds remains a contentious issue, it emerged that beyond issues of money, are differences on strategic political positioning for the party to effectively compete for publicity with its main competitor Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD).

A bigger number of MPs feel that should legislator Ababu Namwamba clinch the secretary general’s post in ODM, TNA would require an eloquent sitting MP to check him and have similar platform as the Budalang’i legislator.

For this reason, MPs feel an overhaul of the party leadership is inevitable given that the current secretary general Onyango Oloo is not a sitting MP besides being nominated chairman to a State parastatal.

“The secretary general of TNA, unlike the chair or other officials of the party or other political parties is defined by the constitution of the party as the CEO, the accounting officer and spokesperson of the party. In the sense, he is a full time employee of the party and he cannot mix that with parliamentary duties at all,” said Onyango Oloo.

At least 17 MPs who had been invited to a TNA strategic meeting boycotted, with just about five senators and one governor attending.

Even still some who attended the meeting walked out. Makadara MP Benson Mutura, for instance, arrived on Friday at the Great Rift Valley Lodge, but drove out of the venue yesterday and did not even attend the opening session presided over by party chairman Johnson Sakaja.

When The Standard on Sunday contacted Mutura for a comment, he said: “I thought this was a meeting of leaders of TNA, but when I arrived, I discovered that delegates from all over the country had been invited, yet we had not seen the agenda. I suspected there is something sinister these people are trying to do and because I did not want to be associated with such things, I chose to leave,” he said.

MPs who had been invited include Naomi Shaaban, Kabando Kabando, Mithika Linturi, and Kimani Ichung’wa. None of them attended.

“What we are demanding is simple, a well grounded party structure that is transparent, democratic and hinged on honest leadership whose integrity in beyond reproach. Why is the secretary general afraid of that? We are looking ahead to build a firm coalition in Jubilee and we will be demanding that political parties funds be managed together with the URP.  Onyango Oloo was appointed to Lake Basin Authority as chair and should go and serve the country there and allow fresh blood to manage and reenergise this national party,” said Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa.

But Mr Oloo responded, saying: “If Sakuda or Kanini Kega have got more fresh blood than me or the chairman, we are not fearing any elections, but there are legal channels to do so. I have heard issues of money. They say I spent Sh30 million within a week. That is true. In fact there was a time I had to spend Sh309 million in a day. My job as secretary general is to spend money and we are going to spend money to zero shillings on programmes. I’m sure the President was properly advised when he appointed me and I believe he has faith in me.”

The meeting at Naivasha, which Sakaja said was for strategic planning, had been sponsored by a non-governmental organisation, Electoral Institute for Sustainable Development (EISA).

In dismissing the allegations of financial misappropriation and weakness in party leadership, Sakaja said: “Our financial records are open to public scrutiny and I need to remind people that political parties are also audited by the auditor general. This is purely a strategic development meeting. If you were to invite all our leaders for this meeting then we would need to use Uhuru Park because this party has very many leaders. TNA, the party of the President has even a higher standard accountability.”

Interestingly, though MPs and Senators who attended were invited by the chief whip Katoo ole Metito and Kindiki Kithure, neither Kindiki nor Katoo attended.