Governors to spend millions in upcoming elections

Politicians gunning for the governor’s post in next year’s General Election are mobilising billions of shillings for their campaigns, setting the stage for what is expected to be the most expensive election in Kenya’s history.

Governors concluded their third annual devolution conference on Friday but the thought of many of them has turned to their efforts to defend their seats and the cost implications of the campaign ahead, several governors told the Sunday Nation.

Investigations indicate the expected hotly contested polls have driven aspirants’ budgets to unprecedented levels as some reserve as high as Sh1 billion to spend before the election date in August.

The scramble is underpinned by the fact that the position is seen as one of the most lucrative elective posts, a far cry from the 2013 polls when the exact powers and influence of the office holder was not clear to all aspirants.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya told the Sunday Nation that in the last elections, he used an average of Sh5m for each of the 12 constituencies in the county and, with the rising stakes this time round, the figure will likely be in the region of Sh10 million.

That would mean the governor will spend a conservative figure of Sh120 million.

He indicated that the cost will likely skyrocket as other aspirants for seats look up to gubernatorial candidates for support.

“You will, for instance, find yourself supporting some MCA aspirants (members of county assemblies) and MPs especially from your party. You might also be funding transport and other costs for various logistics. The trick is to operate as a team so as to reduce costs,” he said.

FINANCIAL POWER
In an economy where competitive politics goes hand in hand with huge demands for cash handouts, many aspirants with more limited means, who may possess superior leadership qualities, find themselves facing an uphill task.

Kiambu Governor William Kabogo is on record as saying that the governor’s position should not be handed to poor politicians, arguing that doing so will be putting public money at the risk of being squandered.

“This position requires someone who has his own money and not someone who will use public money to enrich themselves. Personally, I have never been mentioned in any corruption case because I am not here (being the governor) to enrich myself."

"God has blessed me with enough money, which I often donate because that is where I normally get my blessings,” he said.  

Multiple interviews with prospective candidates show that for regions under the firm grip of the main political coalitions like Jubilee and Cord, the period preceding party nominations will consume the biggest chunk of these budgets.

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, who is championing an alternative political course from the Wiper party led by former vice-president and Cord co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka, told the Sunday Nation that various factors will determine the campaign budgets.

“Every county is different due to the terrain and the level of competition. The minimum amount a governor needs is Sh100 million. In some counties, it will go up to Sh500 million,” he said.

His sentiments were backed by Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka who said that sitting governors will have a head-start in the campaigns because of the many projects they have initiated in their respective counties during their first term.

“For the serving governors, Sh100 million will suffice because we can showcase the projects we have initiated. The figure will be almost double, put it at Sh200 million, for those who are seeking the seat for the first time,” he said.

STAGGERING FIGURES
Given the trend, the combined cost of running gubernatorial campaigns in the 47 counties will rival the amount leading presidential contenders, presumably President Uhuru Kenyatta and Cord leader Raila Odinga, will spend next year.

The two main coalitions are believed to have spent close to Sh20 billion combined in the last polls with President Kenyatta’s Jubilee spending more to clinch the presidency.

The monies were spent on buying and hiring fixed wing planes, helicopters, hundreds of branded vehicles, media campaigns and thousands of foot soldiers to reach the voters.

The Jubilee team had six helicopters, of which three 5-seaters were hired from Wilson Airport-based Company ALS Limited. It also deployed four fixed wing planes on its campaign trail.

ALS charges about $1,700 (Sh147, 900) per hour for its helicopters, for a minimum of two hours. For every hour, the coalition paid the aviation company about Sh443,700, excluding fuel.

Nacada (National Authority for Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse) chairman John Mututho, who plans to vie in Nakuru, said first-time politicians will spend more money.

“They will require between Sh200 million and Sh500 million to effectively campaign in a county of about two million people. For me, I may require just about the same amount I used to campaign in Naivasha last time, about Sh38 million, because I need no introduction to Nakuru people.”

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku, whose eyes are trained on Dr David Nkedianye’s seat in Kajiado, said he is putting together a resource mobilisation team to help in raising funds for the campaign.   

There are reports that some governors have already amassed hundreds of millions of shillings, some suspected to be proceeds of corruption and others from legitimate businesses, to defend their seats, raising the stakes even higher.

The mind-boggling warchest threatens to shove aside those hoping to resign from the civil service to take on the county chiefs as they may not be as moneyed.

FUNDS MOBILISATION
Some governors have openly asked those jostling for the seats to brace themselves for a gruelling fight, boasting that the amount they have set aside allows them to launch a massive and continuous campaign.

Whereas it is seen as scaremongering by some of the politicians, it is a fact that the amount of resources they control gives them a head-start with reports that some are doing business with counties through proxy companies.

Already, a governor from Nyanza has dared those keen to unseat him to set aside at least Sh800 million if they hope to match the kind of campaign he plans to mount.

Another governor from the Coast has been heard saying that he has set aside as much as Sh3 billion and dismissed those planning to replace him as jokers.

The kind of ongoing mobilisation makes nonsense of the proposed Election Campaign Financing Regulations 2016 which were published by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

The rules seek to cap contributions to a campaign at 20 per cent from a single source.

Kericho county boss Paul Chepkwony explained that for those out to use money to influence the poll outcome, the cost can go beyond Sh1 billion.

“But that does not guarantee you victory,” he said explaining that his maiden campaign in 2013 cost about Sh20 million since he largely relied on volunteers.

He said that printing T-shirts, banners and other branded merchandise makes up the bulk of the expense in the run-up to elections.

“I intend to minimise the cost by hiring cars instead of buying new ones and, in some cases, reach out to friends and well-wishers for support,” Prof Chepkwony said.

Senator Boni Khalwale, who has declared his intention to run for the Kakamega seat on a Ford-Kenya ticket, said the money needed for campaigns is not as much as people think.

“It is a fact that governors have become stinking rich and, therefore, have enormous resources to mount massive campaigns, but it should also be known that the money will not count for much when weighed against the levels of corruption in the counties which led to some people accumulating these riches,” he said.

THE DOWNSIDE
The senator said the 2017 elections will not be about the richest candidate but the one who is best placed to ensure that the monies channelled to counties are used for development.

But Governor Oparanya says it will be a mistake for Kakamega to have Dr Khalwale as the next chief executive, claiming he had a poor development record when he was Ikolomani MP.

Mr Oparanya is the ODM deputy party chief and a key ally of Cord leader Raila Odinga.

Observers say the high cost will likely fuel theft of public finances in the last financial year that begins in June with the politicians keen to retain the seats.

Dr Mutakha Kangu, who led the Task Force on Devolved Governments, said that using the advantage of incumbency, the governors will do all within their power to hold on to the seats for another term.

“They will not just sit by and watch as others plot to send them home. This will be an affair of money and, since no one is sure of making it back, you cannot rule out some trying to make hay while the sun shines,” he said.

To explain the high costs, he said the power to control resources at the local level had transferred much of the political heat from the national arena to counties.

In Nairobi, Jubilee is strategising on how it can nominate a candidate capable of facing off with Governor Evans Kidero’s political and financial muscle.

Talking to aspirants from Nairobi, more money will be spent there than anywhere else given the cost of logistics.

CONTENDERS
The capital city gets the highest chunk of devolved funds from the national treasury every financial year.

In the 2016/17 budget, it will receive at least Sh15 billion followed by Turkana county at Sh11 billion as Lamu gets the lowest share of Sh2.5 billion.

Dr Kidero set up a fully running secretariat almost two years before the 2013 polls.

He has since revamped it. So far, Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru seems to have embarked on a direct campaign for the seat.

Nairobi senator Mike Sonko, another formidable contender, said he is in the process of crafting a secretariat.

Others keen to take the seat are Bishop Margaret Wanjiru and nominated MP Johnson Sakaja.