TNA petitions registrar over party list

The National Alliance (TNA) chairman Johnson Sakaja during a news conference at the party headquarters in Nairobi January 4, 2013. He said TNA had written to the Registrar of Political Parties seeking an explanation on a mix up of its membership list. EMMA NZIOKA

The National Alliance (TNA) has written to the Registrar of Political Parties seeking an explanation on a mix up on its membership list.

TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja said the party was concerned that some voters have been registered as members of different parties without their consent.

"The party has written to the Registrar of Political Parties to demand an explanation into the inclusion of unregistered members in the TNA’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) register yet others who registered through the right process have been excluded from the register," Mr Sakaja said during a briefing at the party headquarters in Nairobi Friday.

He urged the IEBC to get to the bottom of the matter saying registration and deregistration of citizens without their consent amounted to a criminal offense that is punishable in law.

"We are approaching the elections and the commission has to act fast on the wrongful registration in order to gain back the confidence of Kenyans," he said.

Mr Sakaja said there should be an investigation into the possibility of people masquerading as party officials who are registering voters.

Mr Sakaja, who was accompanied by TNA director of communications Machel Waikenda, also announced that the party will hold its nominations on January 17.

He said the primaries, which will be held in polling stations across the country, will not be affected by wrong registration.

Mr Sakaja said that TNA will not allow people registered in the party without following the right process to participate in the nominations.

He announced that the party’s National Elections Board will be unveiled on Monday.