Political parties push for increment of allocation to Sh3 billion

Political parties want the government to allocate them Sh3 billion to help them roll out more programmes and strengthen their structures.

The parties are concerned that despite a clear legal provision that 0.3 per cent of the national budget be set aside to fund political parties, only Sh190 million was released in the current budget with only three parties qualifying to access the funding.

Though The National Alliance, Orange Democratic Movement and the United Republican Party welcomed the release of the allocation to their parties-the money arrived late causing a rush to spend to it.

TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja while welcoming the disbursement of the money said: “We will struggle to push for the release of the full amount which is 0.3 per cent to make it Sh3 billion as envisaged in the Constitution,” he said.

TNA, which won highest number of votes in the last presidential elections, got Sh89 million and immediately faced an internal strife following demands by some of its members to have interim officials who steered the party to the 2013 election victory kicked out.

INTERNALISE DEMOCRACY

“We want to believe that the agitation within TNA for fresh leadership is in good faith. We do not want to impute bad motive on our members who are airing concerns that probably they are influenced by the fact that we have received this money-but we know that could be a factor,” Mr Sakaja said.

Kajiado West MP Moses Sakuda has been pushing for the removal of current TNA office holders and their replacement with a new team of elected officials through national party elections.

The two main Jubilee parties-URP and TNA were expected to meet in Naivasha this week but Mr Sakaja reveals this is now uncertain due to the absence of key leaders who are out on international trips.

ODM faced a near break-up last week after its national elections aborted at Kasarani. Party leader Raila Odinga said the party was keen on rebuilding itself nationally and announced that it would initiate fresh party recruitment.

“The new transitional committee will also take charge of party affairs including recruitment and planning for the next national elections,” Mr Odinga said. He described recent developments in ODM as an attempt to internalise democracy which will strengthen the party.

ODM received about Sh80 million but it is unclear whether it will share part of it with affiliate parties that supported its presidential candidate.

TNA has since shared about Sh24 million of the fund allocated to it equally with the URP in line with a deal sealed before the elections last year for the affiliate parties.

URP secretary general Fred Muteti called for an amendment to the Political Parties Act to give more parties access to the kitty.