Share of parties cash stopped, for a while

Mr Justice David Majanja. Mr Justice David Majanja temporarily stopped the distribution of Sh210 million until a petition filed by the Political Parties Forum Coalition, Muungano Party and the Kenya National Congress is heard. Photo/File

What you need to know:

They say the registrar of political parties failed to provide enough time for smaller parties to set up or join coalitions in order to qualify for public funding.

The sharing of political parties cash was stopped Thursday by the High Court.

Mr Justice David Majanja temporarily stopped the distribution of Sh210 million until a petition filed by the Political Parties Forum Coalition, Muungano Party and the Kenya National Congress is heard.

The petitioners assert that the criteria for distributing the money was discriminatory and violated the Constitution.

They say the registrar of political parties failed to provide enough time for smaller parties to set up or join coalitions in order to qualify for public funding.

Mr David Ng’ang’a Wakahu, chairman of the political parties forum said in an affidavit that only three political parties are to share the Sh210 million which will greatly prejudice the rights of other parties.

“Only individual parties which reached a threshold of five per cent of total votes casts can access the fund and excluded over 50 parties that altogether contributed about 35 per cent of votes cast,” he said.

The petitioners also accused the Treasury of miscalculating the amount of money to be given to political parties, arguing that the percentage was not commensurate with the national budget.

The petitioners argued that only smaller parties offered minority groups locked out of the electoral process by the bigger parties.

In any event, they argued the cumulative total votes of the small parties was over six per cent and if they formed a coalition they would meet the five per cent requirement.

“We want a declaration that smaller parties are entitled to fair access of the funds and to be given a chance to enter into any post-election pact,” said Mr Wakahu.

Justice Majanja directed them to serve all respondents and advertise for those wishing to be enjoined in the suit to do so before the hearing on September 9.