Blow to Nasa parties in cash row

National Super Alliance (Nasa) affiliate parties will be required to renegotiate their February 2017 coalition agreement to get a share of Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement funding, the office of the Auditor-General has said.

An audit report based on the accounts of Mr Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), shows that Nasa affiliate parties did not include in the coalition agreement a method of sharing funds.

“The sharing formula was to consider a party’s contribution to the coalition’s strength in parliament. However, this was subject to sharing guidelines, which the alliance did not have at the time of the audit,” the 2019 report, which is at the National Assembly, reads.

Strength in Parliament

The Auditor-General’s stance was buttressed by ODM leader Raila Odinga who told the Nation last week that the party is only getting its share of the funding based on its strength in Parliament.

“The August 2017 presidential election was nullified by the Supreme Court, and we did not participate in the October 26, 2017 repeat vote,” Mr Odinga said.

“As such, no money is coming from the National Treasury to ODM on the basis of the presidential election. ODM only receives money...based on the number of parliamentary seats.”

Even with that, Mr Odinga added, ODM continued to run the Nasa secretariat with its funds after its partners ceased making contributions.

“The treasurers and the secretaries-general of the parties can sit down and compare the accounts. ODM is transparent and we will honour our contractual agreements,” he said.

ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna Tuesday said the party is ready to make public its financial statements.

“No one in ODM knows what these parties are claiming from us,” Mr Sifuna told Nation Tuesday.

“Raila has left it upon us as party leaders to resolve the matter. Our treasurer and I are ready to have discussions with our counterparts to understand the basis upon which they keep making these demands.”

Sh4 billion windfall

ANC, Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya have continued to push for a share of ODM’s political party funding — including a Sh4 billion windfall the party got via a court order on its 2011-16 allocation.

The parties’ push for a share of the fund is anchored on the fact that they largely contributed to ODM’s qualification for it.

Part of the Nasa constitution says coalition partners shall receive their share of the political party fund, and that for the sharing to happen, “the coalition parties shall develop detailed guidelines and procedures”.

The Auditor-General’s finding and Mr Odinga’s position may put to rest efforts by the Nasa affiliate parties to push for a share of the funds, including ANC’s recent threat to go to court.

ODM chairman John Mbadi dared the parties to make good their threat.

“Their agitation is based on ignorance of the law. There is no logic for them to continue asking for funds from ODM, yet they fielded candidates against us, thus diminishing our percentage share of the fund,” Mr Mbadi said.

“How can they then turn around and say they want what duly belongs to ODM? They can as well go to court.”

Of the more that 60 registered political parties, only ODM and President Kenyatta’s Jubilee qualify for the fund.

Some Sh800 million is up for grabs for the parties in the current financial year.