From looting taxpayer’s money to individual accounts, and now to political party accounts! Really? Is it that the current allocation is not enough? A parliamentary team has recommended that Treasury should comply with a court ruling and allocate political parties 0.3 per cent which is equivalent to Sh5 billion of the current national audited accounts.Are you also wondering where the funds will come from with this current economy?
The National Assembly Special Funds Committee in its report tabled in the House notes that critical operations of the parties have stalled due to poor funding.
In 2016, ODM sought court orders compelling the National Treasury to adhere to the 0.3 per cent rule.
Justice Roselyne Aburili directed that the orders issued on October 2017 take effect from the 2018-2019 financial year. Article 92 (f) of the Constitution provides for establishment and management of a political parties fund. Section 24 ( 1 ) of the Parties Act provides that funds not less than 0.3 per cent of the revenue collected by the national government be allocated to the parties.
The latest audited and adopted accounts of the national government date back to the 2013/14 financial year and the 0.3 per cent amounted to Sh9 billion. President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party and Raila Odinga’s ODM will share out close to Sh3 billion. The two giant parties qualify for the funds as they secured at least five per cent of the total number of votes in the August 2017 general election.
Votes secured by each of the two parties will be computed by adding the total number of votes garnered in the preceding general election in the election for the President, governors, MPs and MCAs.
However, the JP and ODM will have to share the amount with small parties that they went into pre-election coalitions with. For instance, the Labour Party of Kenya, Maendeleo Chap Chap, Kenya Patriotic Party, Frontier Alliance Party, Economic Freedom Party and the Party of Democracy and Reforms and Kanu supported Uhuru’s candidature.
On the other hand, ODM will have to consider Wiper, ANC and Ford Kenya, which supported Raila. Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino said the recommendations by the committee chaired by Kathuri Mutungi should be honoured.
“The recommendations must be implemented to strengthen our political parties,” he said.
South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro demanded for consideration of fringe parties. But Majority leader Aden Duale challenged small parties to look for other means of generating their own resources.
During 2013-2014, then The National Alliance (TNA) received the lion’s share, pocketing Sh 88,834,394, followed by ODM (Sh78,080,095 ) and William Ruto’s URP (Sh28,025,510 ).
In the following 2014-2015, Uhuru’s TNA took 155,849,814, ODM Sh136,982,623 and URP Sh49,167,562.
In 2015-2016, the Registrar of Political Parties wired to TNA Sh158,979,845, ODM Sh139,647,018 and URP Sh50,213,137.
During the 2016-2017 financial year, Wiper Party joined the fray, receiving Sh 24,140,215 against TNA’s Sh149,396,786, ODM’s Sh131,310,799 and URP’s Sh47,131,758. In the last financial year, only Jubilee and ODM shared the allocation, receiving Sh240,374,863 and Sh112,255,637 respectively. Do you support the allocation of the demanded sh 5 billion?