- The leaders resolved to have the matter settled at the Nasa summit.
- They also agree to play major role is marketing BBI across the country.
Image: COURTESY
The Opposition coalition Nasa faces fresh implosion after three partners met on Monday to plot over the contentious multi-million Political Parties Fund.
Nasa co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya) on Monday met to chart a joint way forward for what they termed their share from ODM.
Since the 2017 election to the last financial year, ODM has received Sh678,713,667 in political parties funding.
The orange party has been dismissive of any talks to share the cash with its 2017 partners, stating the coalition did not take part in the October 26 repeat presidential election.
The meeting held at Kalonzo’s Karen offices comes a month after the Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu appeared to blame the trio for missing out on the millions.
Nderitu told the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee the Nasa affiliates have themselves to blame for missing out on government funding only enjoyed by ODM and Jubilee.
According to the registrar, the coalition agreement deposited at her office on April 27, 2017 provided for sharing of the parties’ fund but a small schedule on sharing formula, which was not completed, has blocked ANC, Wiper and Ford Kenya from benefiting.
“There was a provision in the coalition agreement that they were to share the money but they were to supply regulations on the nitty-gritty, which they did not,” she told the oversight committee chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi.
On Monday, the three co-principals put their heads together in a meeting that lasted hours to forge a united front and to ensure they do not lose out completely from the coalition's cash.
They are said to have agreed to have the matter resolved in the Nasa summit made up of all the principals.
A source privy to the deliberations at Karen intimated to the Star that the leaders were not happy with the way ODM has elbowed them out of the cash sharing.
They reportedly accused ODM of hiding behind Nasa’s decision to withdraw from the 2017 repeat presidential election to deny them the cash.
“They were actually brainstorming on forging a united front on how to approach the matter. They were clear that even if they boycotted the repeat election there must be some goodwill,” the source said.
The meeting is also said to have revisited the Coalition for Reforms Democracy (Cord) where the Raila Odinga-led ODM refused to share with Wiper and Ford Kenya the government cash.
Cord was the coalition opposition leader Raila Odinga used during the 2013 election, a contest that he lost to Uhuru Kenyatta of TNA.
The meeting also touched on the Building Bridges Initiative, with the leaders resolving to aggressively campaign for the bill when it will be taken to the county assemblies for endorsement.
“They will also hold joint rallies to seek support for the referendum. It will no longer be a project of two people,” the source added.
Edited by Henry Makori