- The new Political Parties Act has given small parties financial boost.
- The money will be channeled directly to beneficiary parties.
Image: STAR
President William Ruto's UDA and opposition chief Raila Odinga's ODM party are the biggest beneficiaries of the Political Parties Fund.
The President's ruling party has been allocated more than Sh577 million from the fund while ODM will walk away with slightly more than Sh308 million.
In a Gazette Notice by the office of the Registrar of Political Parties dated November 2, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee party was the third biggest winner with over Sh135 million.
The notice also shows a record 48 political parties will receive funding from the exchequer, a radical shift from the last financial year when the fund was limited to a few big boys.
The small parties are reaping big from the amendments that were made to the Political Parties Act last December.
The Azimio Coalition and Uhuru's leadership pushed through the amendments during chaotic sittings in Parliament as Ruto's allies protested some clauses.
The new law weakened the criteria for sharing of the exchequer party funds, handing small outfits a major reprieve to enjoy state funding.
Currently, any political party that managed to get at least one elected leader-be it governor, MP, senator, or MCAs-automatically qualified unlike in the past when the threshold was higher.
Unlike in the past when the lump sum money would be allocated to coalitions for onward sharing among partners, this time round the ORPP will directly wire the money to beneficiary parties.
Kalonzo Musyoka's Wiper Party has been allocated Sh72.1 million, becoming the fourth party with the biggest allocation.
The DAP-K associated with Eugene Wamalwa has been allocated Sh31,642,281, UDM (Sh26,897,846), ANC (Sh26,600,684), and Ford-Kenya (Sh25,863,869).
Raila's defunct National Super Alliance died because of feuds over the sharing of the funds as Kalonzo and other parties accused ODM of greed.
Nasa included Moses Wetangula's Ford Kenya and Amani National Congress of Musalia Mudavadi.
This is how the rest of the political parties have been allocated their share of the Political Parties Fund.
1. Narc-Kenya - Sh7,559,722
2. Party of Independent Candidate of Kenya (PICK) – Sh427,317
3. Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP) – Sh13,781,840
4. Kenya National Congress (KNC) – Sh1,852,839
5. Democratic Party of Kenya (DP) – Sh5,485,815
6. Party of National Unity (PNU) – Sh4,462,017
7. Kenya Social Congress (KSC) – Sh1,217,909
8. Progressive Party of Kenya – Sh3,153,535
9. Maendeleo Democratic Party – Sh582,101
10. NARC – Sh5,153,865 11. KADU-Asili – Sh479,832
12. Communist Party of Kenya (CPK) – Sh1,047,848
13. KANU – Sh23,938,039 14. Safina – Sh3,138,585
15. Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU) – Sh3,923,355
16. National Agenda Party of Kenya (NPK) – Sh2,238,311
17. People’s Empowerment Party (PEP) – Sh837,622
18. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – Sh795,008
19. Shirikisho Party of Kenya (SPK) – Sh687,791
20. UPIA – Sh8,968,11
21. Federal Party of Kenya (FPK) – Sh1,257,686
22. Muungano Party – Sh6,743,290
23. Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) – Sh8,113,606
24. Ubuntu People’s Forum – Sh1,998,602
25. United Democratic Party (UDP) – Sh5,374,364
26. People’s Trust Party (PTP) -Sh842,763
27. Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) – Sh9,798,978
28. Justice and Freedom Party of Kenya (JFP) – Sh277,033
29. Grand Dream Development Party (GDDP) – Sh466,800
30. United Progressive Alliance (UPA) – Sh8,677,952
31. The Service Party (TSP) – Sh10,554,051
32. NOPEU – Sh1,352,449
33. National reconstruction Alliance (NRA) – Sh3,399,792
34. Chama Cha Kazi – Sh6,533,345
35. Tujibebe Wakenya Party – Sh7,581,022
36. Kenya Union Party (KUP) – Sh9,505,566
37. Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) –Sh11,501,302
38.Mabadiliko Party of Kenya (MAPK) – Sh638,844
39. Green Thinking Action Party of Kenya (GTAP) – Sh582,538