President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party has received the lion’s share of the political parties’ fund for the Financial Year 2023/2024.
According to a gazette notice published on Friday, June 28 by the Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu, UDA will receive KSh316 million in the revised political parties funds.
Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party will pocket KSh168 million, while Jubilee Party will receive KSh74 million.
Meanwhile, Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement will receive KSh39 million from the registrar of political parties.
Independence party, Kenya African National Union (KANU), will receive KSh13 million, funds that will be distributed to respective parties upon receipt from the National Treasury.
High court ruling
This comes after the High Court, in May 21 2024, ruled that the reduction of money allocated for the Political Parties Fund under a 2023 supplementary budget was illegal.
According to Justice Chacha Mwita, decision by the Registrar to slash funds allocated to political parties in January 2024 was contrary to the Constitution and against Section 24(1) (a) of the Political Parties Act.
At the time, ODM had cried foul, insisting that the Kenya Kwanza Government’s plan to slash the funds by KSh867 million was a plot to kill multi-party democracy.
In the initial plan, UDA was to receive KSh237 million, while ODM was to receive KSh127 million. Jubilee was to get KSh55 million while Wiper was allocated KSh29 million.
What the law says
Section 24 of the Political Parties Act (PPA), 2011 establishes the Political Parties Fund to be administered by the Registrar.
The main source of the Political Parties Fund is the National Government (0.3 % of National Revenue) with other recognized sources that may include: membership subscription fee, contributions and donations.
Following the amendments to the Political Parties Act, 2022 (The Political Parties (Amendment) Act, 2022), the qualification threshold and criteria for distribution of the Fund have been reviewed as below;
Qualification & distribution of the Fund
A political party is not entitled to funding if;
- more than two thirds of its registered office bearers are of the same gender.
- the party does not have, in its governing body, representation of Special Interest Groups;
- the party does not have:
- an elected Member of National Assembly;
- an elected member of the Senate;
- an elected Governor; or
- an elected Member of County Assembly.
Criteria for distribution of Fund
The Fund shall be distributed as follows;
- 70% (seventy percent) of the Fund is distributed proportionately by reference to the total number of votes secured by each political party in the preceding general election;
- 15% (fifteen percent) of the Fund proportionately to political parties qualified above, based on the number of candidates of the party from Special Interest Groups elected in the preceding general election
- 10% (ten percent) of the Fund proportionately to political parties based on the total number of representatives from the political party elected in the preceding general election; and
- 5% (five percent) of the fund is utilized by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties for the administration expenses of the Fund.
Purpose of the Fund
Monies allocated to a registered political party or coalition political party shall be used for purposes compatible with democratic principles including:
- promoting the representation in Parliament and in the County Assemblies of women, persons with disabilities, youth, ethnic and other minorities and marginalized communities;
- promoting active participation by individual citizens in political life;
- covering the election expenses of the political party and the broadcasting of the policies of the party;
- conduct of civic education in democracy and other electoral processes;
- bringing the political party’s influence to bear on the shaping of public opinion;
- administrative expenses of the party which shall not be more than 30% of the monies allocated to the party.