There are no leadership wrangles, Nyeri TNA county co-odinator says

NYERI: An official of The National Alliance (TNA) Nyeri branch has denied claims that there are wrangles in the county.

Nyeri TNA County Coordinator Phillip Githua said there is no need to call for a retreat as suggested by Kieni MP Kanini Kega because they have simply been "rebranding by picking new chairmen or other officials in the eight member executive committee".

He said leaders should strengthen the party at the grassroots level instead of calling for national elections.

"It is true that TNA has not conducted elections at the grassroots, but we have interim committees that run the counties and constituencies," said Githua. The coordinator, who claimed to have the blessings of Mt Kenya TNA Chairman Thuo Mathenge, said the Nyeri office is ran by a 20-member team.

On Wednesday, Mr Kega demanded that TNA national leaders organise a retreat in two weeks to discuss the party's future. He said MPs allied to the party will organise a parliamentary group retreat on January 28 if party leaders fail to do so.

"The current leadership has not organised the meeting because they are afraid of being replaced," he said.

"We will come up with resolutions that will affect the party leadership structures for the sake of the future of the party," he added.

He said MPs would take over the party's leadership from the ward level if the current leaders fail to meet their demands.

"We are willing to ask the Parliamentary Service Commission to withhold the party contributions until the leaders of the party take a more proactive role in party affairs and give members direction," he warned.

Last year, the branch faced leadership wrangles, with some leaders being opposed to the nomination of Mathenge as Mt Kenya boss.