President Uhuru Kenyatta's warning to foreign nations "meddling" in the 2017 polls to influence the outcome of presidential elections has elicited heated debate between Cord and Jubilee.
During Jamhuri Day celebrations on Monday, Uhuru accused undisclosed foreign nations of funding civil society groups to influence the outcome of next year's elections under the guise of offering civic education.
Cord has questioned why Uhuru is "uncomfortable" with foreign organisations funding local civil society groups to conduct civic education ahead of the August 8 election, yet same foreign nations are funding the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to ensure it conducts free, fair and credible elections.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale yesterday warned Jubilee that denying foreign organisations chance to finance political programmes violates the Elections Act.
"Already the US government is supporting various political programmes in this country, including women seeking elective positions and the IEBC. Why would programmes supporting youths, women and political parties outside government be demonised?" he said.
The senator spoke during the launch of 5,000 women running for election. The launch was organised by USAid, UKAid, the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association and the the National Democratic Institute.
Khalwale, also the deputy leader of Ford Kenya, maintained that the Elections Act allows foreign donors to fund political parties in a legal and transparent manner apart from financing various political activities.
In the same function, National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale criticised Khalwale and Cord for misinterpreting the Elections laws regarding foreign funding of political activities.
"The opposition is quite wrong. The Elections Act clearly outlines that political parties are to be funded by the public, not donors. All we oppose is the foreign aid to push to influence the outcome of the elections by specifically supporting the opposition. If they aim at only pushing for a credible election then we are not against it," he said.
Khalwale said Uhuru's warning against the funding is "a rule and old song" sang during retired President Daniel Moi's administration.
"We are prepared as the opposition to receive money from anybody and we are going make it public. When we receive that money we are not going to destabilise the government but using it legally to remove Jubilee government from power," he said.
Duale said Jubilee will win despite interference from international communities and organisations because they failed in their plot of influencing the outcome of the March 4, 2013 general election.
Regarding helping women secure elective seats next year, Duale said Parliament must put a "punitive law" in place to deal with individuals perpetuating violence against women.
"For us to have free, fair and peaceful election we must deal with those who perpetuate hate and hate speech against women. We need legislation to deal with violence. There is a lot of violence in our political parties and in our competitions for election," he said.
Khalwale said Parliament should come up with a law to fund women seeking elective seats for equal competition with men who have huge campaign cash at their disposal.
"The way things are shaping up in the next election we are not going to have a candidate for the position of the President who is a woman. That is not good even if it might appear apparent that that woman is unlikely to win," he said.
US ambassador Robert Godec said his country is committed to supporting women running for election. The US also supports free, fair, peaceful and credible elections, he said.
Godec said US remains non-partisan in Kenya's elections and does not lean to any political party in giving support ahead of the polls.