Mayhem erupts at TNA meeting
PHOTO | ANN MACHARIA Chairs fly as TNA members fight after disagreeing on choosing leaders for the party’s county committee in Kiambu on November 20, 2012.
What you need to know:
- Trouble started when the supporters of TNA aspirants for various elective positions failed to agree on a method of electing nominated grassroots leaders for the party’s county committee
- It took the intervention of the party secretary-general, Mr Onyango Oloo, to bring the meeting back to some semblance of order.
- A tight race is expected for the Kiambu governor seat with Mr Nyanja, Mr Kabogo and Mr Nyoro vying for the job
Hundreds of TNA supporters, among them Members of Parliament, scrambled to safety after chaos erupted at Kiambu Community Hall on Tuesday.
Trouble started when the supporters of TNA aspirants for various elective positions failed to agree on a method of electing nominated grassroots leaders for the party’s county committee.
Juja MP William Kabogo and Former Limuru MP George Nyanja engaged in a heated confrontation while their supporters fought each other.
Mr Nyanja left the venue soon after with a torn shirt, exclaiming “my life is in danger.”
Chairs flew across the hall and a number of people sustained minor injuries as they tried to scramble to safety.
Bodyguards of the various MPs pulled out their guns and whisked their bosses to safety.
An aspirant for the Kiambu governor seat, Dr James Nyoro, who is a former Rockefeller Foundation managing director, exchanged blows with Mr Kabogo as police officers tried to stop the mayhem.
TNA vice chairperson Lydia Mokaya had a difficult time trying to quiet down the unruly crowd of more than 2,000.
It took the intervention of the party secretary-general, Mr Onyango Oloo, to bring the meeting back to some semblance of order.
The nominations eventually got underway amid scenes of confusion and chaos.
From each constituency, two people were nominated to the county committee, with the process having to be repeated in some instances as differing lists were forwarded.
The nominations took more than six hours.
A tight race is expected for the Kiambu governor seat with Mr Nyanja, Mr Kabogo and Mr Nyoro vying for the job.
Kiambu is the home turf of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, who plans to vie for the presidency in the March 4 General Election on a TNA ticket.
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The interim chairman of TNA in Kiambu County, Mr Peter Mugogo, described the chaotic scenes at the meeting as barbaric and said they would taint the image of the party nationally.
“Today’s chaos at this meting is a reflection of the kind of leaders we are going to have after the election,” said Mr Mugogo.
He said the organisers of the election should have allowed the party members to elect their leaders from the grassroots and later at the county level.
Among those who attended the meeting were Githunguri MP Njoroge Baiya, Gatundu North MP Clement Waibara and Limuru MP Peter Mwathi.
Also present were Kikuyu MP aspirant Gitau wa Njenga, TNA patron Nginyo Kariuki and Kiambu senator aspirant Kimani Wamatangi, top party national officials Anne Wambaa and Mary Kirika.
