ODM Chairman John Mbadi. [File, Standard]
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Chairman John Mbadi has disclosed how the former National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition shared the political parties’ funds.
His revelation was prompted by a comment from his political rival alleging that the ODM party had shortchanged its allies in the NASA coalition.
During a political panel discussion on KTN News’ Checkpoint on Sunday, February Mbadi said the funds received by ODM from the registrar of political parties could not be shared with all the parties.
“A lot has been said on this issue of political parties’ funds. In 2013, we agreed on how share the funds clearly. Presidential votes formed part of the money and we didn’t have any problem between 2013 and 2017,” Mbadi explained.
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Then added, “In 2017, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties was advised by the Attorney General and has insisted that the presidential votes to use is the repeat 2017 elections which we shunned. So where do we get the money to give them?”
He attributed his sentiments to a lack of formula of sharing the money adding that it was public funds which is subject to an audit.
“How do we give money to them (ANC, Wiper and Ford-Kenya), what formula do we use. We cannot give like charity, we will be questioned because this is public funds,” Mbadi told KTN News anchor Sophia Wanuna.
At the same time, Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua said wiper was entitled to Sh70 million according to Raila, but only received Sh20 million.
“It is going to be hard to trust that another agreement with ODM will be honoured,” Wambua responded.
In July last year, The National Treasury released Sh519 million to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee and Raila Odinga’s ODM parties.
The funds were part of their political parties’ fund.
Jubilee party bagged Sh353,856,428 while ODM took home Sh165,252,076, according to a Kenya Gazette notice at the time.
According to the Registrar of Political Ann Nderitu, only the two parties met the constitutional threshold to receive the funding.
She also noted that parties are given the allocation for activities saying the amount is audited annually by the Auditor General’s office as it is part of public funds.
“Only two political parties have met the constitutional threshold to get the public money through the Political Parties Fund,” said Nderitu.
