Obwocha faults TNA for ignoring 'friendly parties'

Ford People Chairman Henry Obwocha (left) displays the party's certificate of compliance at the Registrar of Political Parties office on April 30, 2012. Photo/SALATON NJAU

What you need to know:

  • Mr Obwocha on Sunday accused the TNA leadership of frustrating other parties ahead of signing a pre-poll agreement with United Republican Party (URP) and United Democratic Forum Party (UDF)

Frustration by The National Alliance (TNA) leadership to accommodate 'friendly parties' led to most political parties joining ODM in bid to form the next government, Ford People Chairman Henry Obwocha has said.

Mr Obwocha on Sunday accused the TNA leadership of frustrating other parties ahead of signing a pre-poll agreement with United Republican Party (URP) and United Democratic Forum Party (UDF) of Eldoret North MP William Ruto and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi respectively.

“Ford-People has been working with and supporting TNA. We were surprised when Mr Uhuru Kenyatta’s party agreed to share power equally with URP without distributing shares to friendly parties,” Mr Obwocha said.

“Further, we were shocked when it accommodated UDF despite its leader, Mr Mudavadi, accepting to work with TNA-URP coalition and ignoring us,” he added.

Mr Obwocha said his party had all along held political rallies with TNA but wondered why the party was unwilling to accommodate Ford-P and other friendly parties when it merged with those led by Mr Ruto and Mudavadi.

“TNA leadership ignored other friendly parties by sharing power with URP and UDF in equal measure. This is despite it saying it was willing to accommodate more parties wishing to join their coalition,” Mr Obwocha said in an interview with Nation.

He said he differed with TNA after its leadership fell short of stating what share of leadership they could get once Ford-P joined its merger.

“Its leadership was also adamant to say how our party will access our share of Political Party Funds once we joined TNA,” Mr Obwocha added.

“That is why I have asked our party members and supporters to support any presidential candidate in the next General Election since Ford-P will not field a candidate for the post,” he added.