Raila to Nasa partners: We don't owe you a coin from parties kitty

Estranged NASA partners, from left, Moses Wetangula, Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi at Machakos Golf Club, January 19, 2018. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

ODM leader Raila Odinga has ruled out sharing political parties funds with coalition partners.

Raila said ODM has not received a single coin attributed to the National Super Alliance (Nasa) presidential candidate to warrant sharing among the four partners.

The former Prime Minister also rebuffed demands for endorsement by his now-estranged coalition partners, saying that backing a weak candidate would ruin their chances of succeeding President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He invited Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula to a popularity contest to decide a joint candidate for next year’s polls.

Raila made the remarks during an interview with Radio Citizen.

His remarks come in the backdrop of a threat by Mudavadi, Kalonzo and Wetang'ula to take ODM to court over the millions of shillings from the Exchequer.

Raila said ODM has only received money from the Exchequer based on its number of elected leaders.

“The office of the Registrar of Political Parties and the Attorney General declined to recognise the votes we garnered in the August presidential election because it was nullified. We also did not participate in the repeat presidential election,” said Raila.

“There is no coin ODM has received from the Exchequer from the presidential votes, therefore there is nothing to share. The money ODM has been receiving is based on members the party has in Parliament. There is no coalition money that ODM has received to share with partners; it is pure propaganda."

He also said some coalition partners do not have the required number of elected leaders to qualify for the funding. The trio has also threatened to pull out of the coalition after Raila refused to back one of them for presidency. 

From left, estranged NASA partners Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula. [Pius Cheruiyot, Standard]

Currently, Jubilee and ODM are the only parties that qualify for the political parties funding.

Raila, however, said they are ready to engage the coalition partners on the matter. An agreement by the opposition coalition indicates that partner parties were to benefit equally from the political parties funding attributed to the presidential candidate. 

The details are contained in a document filed with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) on April 27, 2017.

Threaten court action

“All votes accruing to the presidency shall be shared among the coalition parties. Funds due to the party from which the coalition presidential candidate has been attributed to the presidential vote shall be shared equally among the coalition parties,” states the agreement.

Previous efforts by the trio to engage Raila on the matter flopped, forcing Kalonzo to threaten court action. In a letter dated May 21, Kalonzo wrote to Raila over his lack of commitment to address the standoff.

In the interview, Raila claimed some of the mega projects by the Jubilee administration were used to fleece the country through inflated costs.

He cited the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and rural electrification project.

From left, estranged NASA partners Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula. [Pius Cheruiyot, Standard]

He said his latest declaration that he would jail corrupt government officials should he ascend to power, has exposed him to threats on social media with some people warning him to go slow.

But he said he was ready to sacrifice his ambitions, to get rid of corruption. “If that is what people want, I would rather not be president, to lead a country where corruption is beyond 100 percent yet the perpetrators go Scot-free.

"We cannot proceed or develop as a country where corruption is the order of the day. The action taken against the culprits is what makes the difference,” said Raila.

He added that Kenya has moved from the old days when it was ‘toa kitu kidogo’ to ‘toa kitu kikubwa’ and now at ‘toa kitu kila kitu’ scenario.

He said this is made worse by rogue KRA officers who have embarked on a looting spree.

“They are openly stealing money and living luxurious lives and have fancy houses, luxury cars and high-end flats. This is not to mention those who work in procurement,” he said.