Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition affiliate parties have decried the continue delay in the release of the political parties’ funds by the government.
The parties are accusing the executive of crippling their activities by failing to release the funds in time.
Addressing the media in, Nairobi led by Jubilee party secretary-general Jeremiah Kioni and his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) counterpart Edwin Sifuna, the parties alleged that the President William Ruto-led administration was plotting to cripple their operations by withholding the funds aforementioned.
“The delay and underfunding to political parties has greatly affected party institutionalization and lowered the desired value-infusion, which in turn would ensure that the people of Kenya see political parties as necessary organizations in the democratization process,” the leaders jointly stated.
They claimed that the 48 opposition parties were yet to receive the first, second and third quarter funding in accordance with the directives provided by the political parties’ dispute tribunal.
No funds to run party activities
Sifuna said the political parties last received funding in June 2022.
He said the situation has left them with pending arrears accruing from rent among other bills that need to be sorted and consequently paralyzed operations.
“ODM, you know, has 47 county offices. We have rent arrears from June last year. Our county chairmen are calling us every day”.
“They think we are lying because the President told them on national media that money was released to the Registrar of Political Parties,” he stated.
At the same time,Sifuna took issue with Ruto’s announcement on the alleged disbursement stating that the announcement was misleading and a strategy to impede the opposition from performing its roles.
“During his recent interview, he alluded to the fact that money due to political parties had already been released”.
“We as secretaries-general of the qualifying parties have had a meeting with the Registrar of Political Parties and she confirmed that in fact, Treasury has still not disbursed the money,” Sifuna stated.
“So, when the President says that he expects a very robust opposition, he is lying to Kenyans because his actions are directed towards ensuring that they cripple political parties, especially the opposition political parties,”.
Funds Share
In this financial year’s allocation President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party was to get the biggest share of the political parties fund.
UDA has been allocated Ksh577,162,898.
The Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu said that the funds allocated are set to be shared among 48 political parties in the 2022/2023 financial year.
The funds are disbursed quarterly.
Also Read: Ruto’s UDA Bags Biggest Share of Political Parties Fund
The allocation of the political parties fund act follows the political parties Act 2021 which states that 70 percent of the fund is distributed proportionately in reference to the total number of votes by each party in the preceding general election.
Raila Odinga led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was to receive the second largest portion of Ksh308,260,679. while Jubilee Party wias to get the third largest share at Ksh135,113,518.
Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party was set to receive Ksh72,110,017
