Registrar cautions new party against using TNA initials

The Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu has warned the newly formed Transformation National Alliance Party (TNAP) against using the initials TNA.

The TNA acronym is similar to President Uhuru Kenyatta's defunct The National Alliance (TNA).

In a letter dated May 10, Ms Nderitu says her office approved the initials TNAP and not TNA.

She accused the party of highlighting the initials TNA and deliberately leaving out the P in an advertisement last week that invited applicants in the recruitment of 290 constituency coordinators to spearhead operations in its offices countrywide and to organise for party membership drive.

In a rejoinder, the party’s interim Secretary-General Arnold Maliba has promised to comply by the registrar’s decision.

PARTY SYMBOL

Also in contention is the use of an eagle as a party symbol which Ms Nderitu said is not approved in line with Section 6(3) of the Political Parties Act, 2011.

But Mr Maliba said the party had submitted other symbols for approval.

“We had submitted other symbols including the image of a flamingo but for reasons beyond our knowledge, the registrar is not keen on us having a bird as a symbol even though other parties have birds as symbols,” said Mr Maliba in a statement on Monday.

PARTY COLOURS

The defunct TNA's symbol was a dove, while the new party's symbol is an eagle.

The new party's colours are red and blue.

Among the documents submitted for registration by the party’s interim officials - Mr Maliba and Wachira Keen (chairman) – were its constitution, code of conduct and a logo.

According to Ms Nderitu, registering a party is a process and could take at least six months.

The process involves a lot of correspondence and submission of requisite documents.