Sh871m windfall for ODM, Jubilee from parties’ kitty

The National Treasury has allocated Sh871 million to Jubilee and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) as part of billions of shillings owed to political parties.

The money, to be shared by the two, will be channelled through the Political Parties Fund.

It still leaves taxpayers with a debt of more than Sh10 billion owed to the parties between 2013 and 2019.

Acting National Treasury CS Ukur Yatani said the delays in paying the money had been occasioned by insufficient resources.

The High Court had directed National Treasury to ensure that made a budgetary proposal and estimates reflecting an allocation of not less than 0.3 per cent of the national revenue to political parties.

Under article 203 of the Constitution, sharing of national revenue has to put into consideration national interests such as public debt, pensions and salaries for constitutional office holders.

National revenue allocated to counties should also not be less than 15 per cent of the total collected. One half per cent of the money is also allocated to the Equalisation Fund.

In considering allocation to the political parties fund, Treasury is also guided by provisions of mandatory constitutional requirements such as health, education and security, safeguarding national interests, provisions for the equalisation fund and other priorities such as the National Government and Constituencies Development Fund.

“The balance of the funds left after taking into account these priorities is hardly enough to finance other programmes of government,” said Mr Yatani in an interview with the Sunday Standard.

According to the CS, the Sh871.2 million allocated to Jubilee and ODM this financial year is an enhancement from Sh371 million that was allocated in 2017/2018 financial year. 

But even as the government struggles to raise funds for political parties allocations, plans are underway to amend the law to ensure sustainable funding.

“We are in discussions and are exploring avenues of addressing the situation even if it means proposing amendments to the National Assembly,” said the Treasury CS.

Jubilee Party secretary general

Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju confirmed that the party is owed billions by the government under the the political parties fund.

Tuju however said political parties must justify the need for funding.

“The political parties don’t have inbuilt checks and balances. I am a bit hesitant to agitate for the billions because of the lack of capacity to ensure the money is properly used,” said Tuju.

“We should put in place systems and controls to ensure adherence and compliance with the law and the auditing process. The funds will require full accountability,” he said.

According to Tuju, the money received by Jubilee will not be shared between its affiliate parties.

“The 13 parties dissolved and therefore we have no affiliates. We are a single party. There is no The National Alliance (TNA), the United Republican Party (URP) or others,” he said.

The money is however creating cracks within the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) with parties under the alliance claiming that ODM has shortchanged them.

The parties claim that ODM has broken an agreement signed ahead of the 2013 and 2017 general elections.

According to the opposition parties, ODM received Sh112 million in 2017/2018 under NASA. The parties claim that ODM did not share the money with its coalition partners. This, even after NASA co-principals agreed on August 1 that the deal which led to the union of five political parties must be respected.

A meeting of NASA National Coordinating Committee chaired by former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama failed to take place two weeks ago due to lack of quorum.

According to Muthama,  the meeting was rescheduled. “We were to have a meeting in my office but we could not do so due to lack of quorum. We rescheduled it on a date that is to be communicated to members soon,” he said.

Raila’s party is accused by CORD and NASA affiliate parties of failing to share the political parties fund money despite agreements deposited with the registrar of political parties.

“Wiper party has not received a single cent from money disbursed to ODM by the political parties fund,” said Muthama.

Defended allocations

Homa Bay MP Peter Kaluma accused the government of violating the law that created the fund. Kaluma defended the allocations to Jubilee and ODM saying they were meant to for “strong parties.”

“The government has refused to remit all monies due to political parties as required by the law. The fund was established to benefit qualified parties, not coalitions,” he said.