Bishop Wanjiru, Maina Kamanda lock horns in city TNA fight ahead of 2017 elections

Former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru being received by TNA Secretary General Onyango Oloo at TNA headquarters after she defected from ODM in December 2014. Supremacy battles to control TNA in Nairobi pitting Wanjiru and Starehe MP Maina Kamanda are gaining momentum. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Ms Wanjiru, who is a former Starehe MP, has declared her intention to vie for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat on TNA.
• Mr Kamanda has rallied other TNA-affiliated MPs in the city to front for Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru.
• A tough talking Kamanda accused Ms Wanjiru of attempting to buy off the current TNA Nairobi County officials.
• The stakes are high in the city as Governor Evans Kidero is expected to defend his seat.

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By SAMUEL KARANJA
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Supremacy battles to control The National Alliance (TNA) party in Nairobi in readiness for the 2017 General Election are gaining momentum.

Long-time arch-rivals Starehe MP Maina Kamanda and his predecessor Bishop Margaret Wanjiru are currently embroiled in a fight to control party politics in the city, with each declaring they have a major stake in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s party.

While Ms Wanjiru, who is a former Starehe MP, has declared her intention to vie for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat on TNA, Mr Kamanda has rallied other TNA-affiliated MPs in the city to front for Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru.

“I was elected the Nairobi TNA chairperson by the Nairobi executive delegates who represent the 17 constituencies in Nairobi and out of the three contestants, I came out the winner,” Ms Wanjiru insisted.

She accused Mr Kamanda of fighting to take control of how nominations are going to take place in the city.

SONKO EYEING SEAT

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko has also made it clear he will vie for the seat on TNA and is believed to be ‘fishing’ for a running mate from Mount Kenya area to bolster his bid.

But it is an announcement by Ms Wanjiru that she is now the TNA city chairperson that has irked Mr Kamanda.

A tough talking Kamanda accused Ms Wanjiru of attempting to buy off the current TNA Nairobi County officials.

“She has never been elected chairman; there is a bona fide party chairman by the name Gitonga Ndegwa,” said Mr Kamanda in a telephone interview Saturday.

But Bishop Wanjiru insisted she won the seat during an election in July where three candidates took part.

But Mr Kamanda accused Ms Wanjiru of using divide and rule tactics to rock the party yet she was a new comer having decamped from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

The stakes are high in the city as Governor Evans Kidero is expected to defend his seat on Cord ticket together with his deputy Jonathan Mweke.