TNA to hold party poll after April: Sakaja
The National Alliance Party now says it will hold its recruitment drive from next month and grassroots elections after April.
This follows pressure from a group led by MP Moses Sakuda for establishment of party structures from the grassroots to national level and more activities to avoid TNA being moribund.
TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja said the party’s National Oversight Board which he chairs met after the retreat in Naivasha at the weekend and agreed on a one month recruitment drive.
“After that we will meet county chairpersons how we can conduct grassroots elections,” Mr Sakaja told the Nation.
According to the party’s constitution, Mr Sakaja and his team are supposed to be in office until 2017, but the chairman said he could call for national polls midway if half of the branches request the oversight board to call for a special convention.
“If TNA has no delegates, can he tell us who nominated Uhuru to vie for presidency on a TNA ticket? He should stop being used to wreck the party. Our grassroots elections are not after pressure from anyone least of all Sakuda. It has always been in the plan, it is now that funds are available.”
He dismissed claims that he had called for a parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday as stated by Mr Sakuda’s team. “We are ready for elections but we need to build the party structures. I am ready to face anyone,” Mr Sakaja said.
DENIED APPOINTMENT CLAIMS
“We want to hold PG but we have not given the date. I have not called any PG but people have a right to meet,” Mr Sakaja said.
Speaking to the Nation in a separate interview, Mr Sakuda insisted that Tuesday’s PG is still on and that even Mr Sakaja and other party officials are invited.
“We want to see the party working. It is not about positions. We want a party that has structures from the grassroots for it to be strong. We want the party to have offices in all the counties. As of now, TNA has no delegates. I am happy the officials are heeding to our calls,” Mr Sakuda said.
Mr Sakaja denied Mr Sakuda’s claims that he and other TNA officials were appointed saying that a National Delegates Convention was held in 2012 before the party changed its name from Alliance Party of Kenya where they were elected.
“We got elected then changed the name of the party to TNA and launched it. According to the party constitution our term ends in 2017,” Mr Sakaja said.
He revealed that TNA’s oversight board had summoned its accounting officers to explain alleged loss of Sh16 million from its books. (READ: Withdrawal of large sum of money haunts TNA)
MONEY DISAPPEARED
He said secretary general Onyango Oloo was among those summoned to clarify the queries.
Mr Sakaja said anyone with evidence of the disappearance of the money should give the information to him or the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission since the party is a public entity.
He said it is wrong for some individuals to tarnish the names of the officials without providing evidence.
“We are open to scrutiny and if one is not satisfied he or she should take the matter to the next level. If we have the best interest of the party at heart there is no need to speak at cross purposes,” Mr Sakaja said.
TNA, the party which President Uhuru Kenyatta used to ascend to power has been dogged with leadership wrangles since after last year’s General Election.
The party has also been on the spot over nominations to Parliament and alleged loss of millions of shillings.
