Cracks emerge in TNA over Gwendo suspension

Cracks have emerged in The National Alliance (TNA) Kisumu branch following recommendations to the party’s national oversight board to suspend nominated senator Joy Gwendo.

TNA’s national disciplinary committee had recommended on Friday that the nominated senator be suspended indefinitely and subsequently expelled on claims that she was working with the ruling party’s rivals.

Ms Gwendo was reined in on by the members of the committee following a petition by Kisumu branch officials that she had disrespected the party.

However on Sunday, a group claiming to be the bonafide decision makers for the party in their Kisumu branch came out to oppose the ruling of the NDC.

The group claimed that their colleagues who had proposed that Ms Gwendo be expelled reached the decision without consulting the entire TNA fraternity in Kisumu.

They accused the party’s secretary general Onyango Oloo of ‘micromanaging the branch’s business at the expense of making TNA the most popular outfit’.

The team led by Yusuf Odongo said Mr Oloo was not running the party affairs professionally.

“We are the party members who toiled for TNA during the last election. We are not going to take attempts to remove Ms Gwendo lightly,” said Mr Odongo.

The group wants the disciplinary committee’s decision reversed or the party faces sanctions including open protests against its ideologies in Nyanza.

“We wonder for whom, these allegations were brought for consideration if we don’t recognise these officials. There is need for investigations into the conduct of Mr Oloo regarding this case,” said Mr Odongo.

The group said they sensed a scheme by some few power hungry members of TNA who want to blackmail the troubled senator.

Mr James Kirunda said Mr Oloo is the person who should be investigated and disciplinary action taken against him including his replacement.

“He has brewed nepotism in the party’s offices. Mr Oloo has kept lying to the President that things are okay here in Nyanza yet they are not. We want President Uhuru Kenyatta to address this matter,” said Mr Kirunda.

The division came at a time when Jubilee Alliance is said to be gaining popularity in the region, if their performance in the recently concluded North Ugenya ward by-election where the party emerged second in a Raila Odinga (ODM leader) backyard is anything to go by.

On his part, Mr Oloo denied having a hand in the suspension of Ms Gwendo saying disciplinary matters are sorted by the office of the chairman according to the constitution of the party.

“It is not true that I have a hand in her removal. I have been the one who has called for her to come and reconcile the issues facing her down here at the branch. The meeting is yet to happen,” said Mr Oloo.

The secretary general said he built Ms Gwendo and would not have his mentorship ability put in jeopardy if he was the first to instigate her removal.

“Joy Gwendo is my younger sister in politics. It would be extremely painful that the energy we spent on her going to waste by such a non-glorious exit,” said Mr Oloo.

The TNA official dismissed the group that rallied their support behind Ms Gwendo saying they were 'impostors’ who only want to gain political mileage.

The two teams now want the party’s secretariat to publish names of who the true officials of TNA are across the country for the sake of proving who should act on its behalf.

Ms Gwendo is considering legal redress on the matter of her suspension and subsequent expulsion which now rests in the hands of the oversight board.