• ODM seeks to have 15 per cent of the allocation to be shared equally among all parties.
• Remaining 85 percent to be shared proportionally based on party strength.
Image: MONICAH MWANGI
ODM is pushing for a law change to include all parties in sharing of the political parties funding to end the culture of briefcase parties.
The Orange party and the ruling Jubilee party are the only ones entitled to government funding. ODM now wants the law reviewed and all political parties which participate in a general election considered.
ODM finance director Joshua Kawino said locking out small parties from getting a share of the cash made their operations difficult. Parties are required to have operational offices in at least 24 counties.
Currently, for parties to benefit from public funding, they must have at least five per cent of the total vote in the last election.
This refers to the tallies for the President, members of Parliament, governors and members of county assemblies.
In a proposal already with the office of the Registrar of Political Parties, ODM seeks to have 15 per cent of the allocation to be shared equally among all parties.
The remainder, according to Kawino, should be proportionately shared depending on parties’ performances.
Political parties are by law entitled to at least 0.3 per cent of national revenue every year of which five per cent is retained by the office of the Registrar of Political Parties for administrative costs.
“The money, if Treasury could be adhering to the law, would be sufficient for all registered parties especially those which participate in the general elections,” Kawino said.
“To discourage briefcase parties, it would be prudent that parties are given money to help them run the offices because complying with the law in the absence of money is a tall order for most small parties.”
Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Party backed the proposal but called for safeguards to ensure only deserving parties – at least parliamentary parties – are considered.
“Our democracy is growing, whereas and indeed it is important to provide financial support to political parties because we use them to entrench democracy, the regulators must be able to balance between that need and need not to have a proliferation of parties which will have no meaning,” said Wiper Executive Director Jared Siso.
Kawino said a political party needs at least Sh95 million annual budgets to run 24 offices in the counties and a centralised headquarters.
The Treasury has, however, failed to comply fully with the 0.3 per cent rule and has only been releasing a fraction of the amount to be shared by the parties.
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 31, 2017, take effect from the 2018/2019 financial year but still the government has not complied.
During 2013/2014, then The National Alliance (TNA) received the lion’s share, pocketing Sh88,834,394, followed by ODM (Sh78,080,095 ) and William Ruto’s URP (Sh28,025,510 ).
In 2014/2015, Uhuru’s TNA took Sh155,849,814, ODM Sh136,982,623 and URP Sh49,167,562.
In 2015/2016, the Registrar of Political Parties wired to TNA Sh158,979,845, to ODM Sh139,647,018 and to URP Sh50,213,137.
During the 2016/2017 financial year, Wiper Party joined the fray, receiving Sh24,140,215 against TNA’s Sh149,396,786, ODM’s Sh131,310,799 and URP’s Sh47,131,758.
In the 2017/18, only Jubilee and ODM shared the allocation, receiving Sh240,374,863 and Sh112,255,637 respectively.