The National Treasury has disbursed KSh 519 million to the Jubilee party and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) as part of their political parties’ fund.
According to the latest Kenya Gazette notice, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party received a whopping KSh 353 million whereas ODM walked home with KSh 165 million.
The Registrar of Political parties Ann Nderitu said out of the more than 60 registered political parties in Kenya, only Jubilee and ODM met the required constitutional threshold.
“Only two parties have met the constitutional threshold to get the public money through the political parties’ fund,” she said.
Nderitu challenged other registered political parties across the country to up their game and get more members in Parliament so that they can increase their chances of benefiting from the political parties’ fund after the 2022 General Election.
“It is the duty of the politicians to get more members in their parties to get the resources from the fund,” Nderitu told the Standard Newspaper.
Despite getting KSh 353 million from the exchequer, the Jubilee party said the amount was far much below what is provided in the Constitution.
Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju further suggested that the Political Parties Act 2011 should be amended so that other smaller parties benefit from the kitty.
“The other smaller parties are also agitating for a certain percent. The issue should be addressed so that they don’t solely depend on coalition partners or individual donations to run their affairs,” he said.
This is the amount other NASA co-principals are pushing to have a share of something that Raila has refused.
“If we were receiving money based on the presidential elections that would have been fine to share with our colleagues. There are those who are spreading rumors that ODM is denying other affiliates money,” Raila said.
