Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has explained why the Azimio coalition wants the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) scrapped.
Removal of the office is among proposals brought forward by the National Dialogue Committee in its final report.
According to Sifuna, the ORPP has been silent even as President William Ruto's administration continues to reduce the budgetary allocations set aside for Political Parties in the country.
The senator who is also the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party's secretary general said that even as Ruto claims to be a champion of democracy, his administration is determined to cripple operations of political parties in the country.
"Even when he waxes lyrical about democracy he is intent on crippling operations of parties most of them in the opposition. All this while the ORPP Kenya is silent. Which is why we support the proposal by NADCO to scrap that office," Sifuna said.
The Nairobi Senator noted that since Ruto took charge of the country, Political parties have lost over Sh1.5 billion.
He said this has been happening even as the President's office remains among the state offices that receive additional funding.
"In his first supplementary budget last year Ruto cut close to Sh600 million from the Political Parties Fund. This year he has cut almost Sh900 million meaning in one year alone Political Parties have lost Sh1.5 billion. Meanwhile, his office is receiving an additional Sh5billion this year alone to build a pavilion at the State House for entertainment," Sifuna added.
The National Dialogue Committee NADCO, co-chaired by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah proposed radical reforms in the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties that deal with matters of registration of political outfits.
In the report, the panel recommended the formation of an independent commission to take over the roles of the ORPP.
“The Political Parties Act, 2011 be amended to establish the Independent Political Parties Regulatory Commission,” the report reads.
The independent body shall be responsible for the registration of political parties and their office holders; and the management of political parties’ funds.
The commission shall also perform such other functions as may be conferred on the Commission by the Constitution.
The entity shall also administer the Political Parties Fund which the committee has also proposed for introduction.
“Political Parties Fund to be administered by the Independent Political Parties Regulatory Commission into which shall be paid money appropriated by the National Assembly equal to not less than 0.3 per cent of the national budget for the preceding financial year,” the report said.
