By Gakuu Mathenge

The Party of National Unity has been told not to celebrate the prospect of receiving part of the Sh200 million allocated to political parties in the current budget.

The convenor of PNU affiliates, David Ngugi (Kinangop, Sisi Kwa Sisi), says the parties’ fund may kill PNU by strengthening smaller parties.

Ngugi, who is also the representative of affiliate parties in the PNU Supreme Council, says the Sh51 million due to the party should not be shared, but used to strengthen the party.

"Sharing this money will work against the search for unity and efforts to build PNU structures. Funding parties works against the overall goal of a united PNU," he says.

PNU Supreme Council comprises Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Internal Security Minister George Saitoti, Transport Minister Chirau Mwakwere and Nominated MP and Ford-Kenya chairman Musikari Kombo.

Ngugi says Kanu and Narc-Kenya are being selfish by insisting on being funded on account of votes cast for parliamentary and civic candidates they sponsored through PNU.

"If there were no money, what would they have done? This funding should not be viewed as a gift to MPs and councillors, but an investment to strengthen democratic institutions," he says.

A meeting of PNU affiliates with the Registrar of Political Parties on Monday failed to resolve the impasse on how to share the money. Another meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.

PNU legal affairs secretary and Nominated MP George Nyamweya says the problem is that current office holders are new comers who do not understand party founding spirit and agreements with affiliates in the run-up to the 2007 General Election.

Party founders

"PNU secretary general Kiraitu Murungi and chairman Saitoti were in Narc-Kenya. They do not understand the agreements we had with other parties. They should talk to Mr Simeon Nyachae, Kombo and myself. These are PNU founding members," Nyamweya says.

Narc-Kenya secretary general Danson Mungatana says: "Sticking to legalities alone may not resolve the impasse. We should consider current realities by conducting a roll call of MPs and their current loyalties to determine the strength of each party and its share."

Former Ford-People MP Henry Obwocha says the Chief Justice should establish a political parties tribunal to settle disputes that are likely to overwhelm the Registrar of Parties, "especially where parties in Government, like PNU and ODM, dispute with those out of Government."

The Political Parties Act provides for a tribunal.

Safina leader Paul Muite urges the registrar to follow the law or the affiliate parties will go to court to stop money from being disbursed.

" The registrar should comply with the law, failure to which we move to the High Court to compel her to do so," says Muite, reacting to reports that the registrar had asked PNU affiliates to agree on a formula.

In an interview, Obwocha accused PNU of greed and ingratitude to affiliates.

"PNU was not a party during elections; it only gave President Kibaki a platform to rally affiliate parties behind his re-election. Ford-People had 35 parliamentary candidates and the votes cast for them is known," he said.