TNA officials are accusing President Uhuru Kenyatta of abandoning the party after it propelled him to State House.
The officials blame Uhuru for maintaining a “studious silence” on party matters including the leadership wrangles that have hit TNA in recent months.
Uhuru has also been blamed for failing to attend any of TNA executive council meetings to chart a way forward for the party.
“As a member of the party top organ it is instructive to note that as the party leader the president has never attended any executive council meeting and with much disappointment he has relegated his contact role to his test tube political advisers,” said TNA deputy treasurers Dennis Kirwa and TNA public policy secretary Mohammed Abdullahi in a piece sent to the Star. Both are members of the TNA National Oversight Board.
The party has recently split into two factions, one allied to TNA chairman and nominated MP Johnson Sakaja, and the second allied to TNA vice-chairperson Lydia Mokaya.
A retreat of the party will be held next weekend at an undisclosed location to address issues of concern especially the alleged mismanagement of funds in the party.
Last Thursday some TNA officials were called before the party oversight board over alleged financial impropriety but the outcome is still not known.
Last Friday, an SMS alert was sent to journalists for a press conference to held at the new party headquarters near Yaya Centre but the briefing was cancelled less than an hour later.
Last June, officials allied to Mokaya held a meeting in Nairobi and suspended Sakaja for failing to relinquish his party position after being nominated to Parliament. Party officers are not supposed to be MPs. Sakaja maintains he is legally in office and has continued to serve as TNA chairman.
A third faction, comprised of MPs led by Kajiado North Moses Sakuda, recently publicly called for changes in TNA accusing the current officials of poor leadership and mismanagement of campaign funds in the 2013 election campaign.
Two weeks ago the party held a parliamentary group meeting that resolved to first focus on a countrywide recruitment exercise before holding grassroots elections and then national elections at the end of the year.
Uhuru, the TNA party leader, did not come to the meeting that was attended by 75 senators and MPs.
The President, since he was elected last March, has not convened any TNA meeting.
He has occasionally held Jubilee parliamentary group meetings at State House with MPs from TNA, Deputy President William Ruto’s URP and Narc.
“Where in the world do you find a president who doubles up as party leader ignorant of the happenings of his party. The president has entertained various delegations to State House and has never entertained a delegation of the party’s executive council and its county leadership to see him to chart course for the party. This indeed is an indictment as to failed leadership in the party,” said the officials.
They warned that the recent ODM fiasco at Kasarani “will be child’s play in TNA political future” unless Uhuru takes charge of party affairs and puts its house in order.
Yesterday, Sakaja defended the President saying he was in touch with the party.
“As much as he is the leader of TNA, he is the president of the republic. He has entrusted the party to the officials and he trust what we do as officials. Whenever there are issues we consult him and if he needs any clarification he calls and we talk,” said Sakaja.
He said the disgruntled officials should not expect the president to micromanage party affairs.
In December 2010, a faction in Kanu led by Gideon Moi removed Uhuru from the party accusing him of failing to call a national delegates conference. They accused Uhuru of laxity in party matters.
After leaving Kanu, Uhuru moved through several unofficial political outfits including the Green Alliance, KKK Alliance, and G7 Alliance before settling for the National Alliance Party of Kenya in April 2012 which was immediately rebranded to The National Alliance (TNA).
- the-star.co.ke
