Daggers drawn in fight for control of party cash

The fight is on for the control of major political parties as leaders jostle for access to the more than Sh300 million allocated to the parties in the Budget.

The allocation is supposed to flow according to each party’s strength to finance their programmes; they would be accountable to the Kenya National Audit Office.

The Political Parties Act established a Political Parties Fund, which should be 0.3 per cent of the total national revenue, administered by the Registrar of Political Parties.

The funds are distributed in such a way that 15 per cent is allocated equally to all parties and 80 per cent shared out proportionately according to the number of votes a party got in the elections for presidential, parliamentary and civic candidates.

Five per cent remains with the Registrar of Political Parties to cover administrative costs of the fund (Political Parties Act 2007, 30(3)).

The idea of funding parties from the national coffers was meant to help detach parties from funding by politicians or businessmen who then seek favours should the parties they sponsored ascend to power, often touching off corrupt deals.

In The National Alliance (TNA) party, a section of the leadership wants Chairman Johnson Sakaja and secretary-general Onyango Oloo to relinquish their positions.

In Narc, which is a partner in the Jubilee Alliance, former Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo has taken charge following the appointment of Mrs Charity Ngilu to the national Cabinet.

Wiper Democratic Party, which is a member of the Coalition for Reform and Democracy (Cord), is under the tight grip of former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, who is working to strengthen it.

In ODM, a number of candidates are fighting for the executive director’s position following the resignation of Ms Janet Ong’era, now a nominated senator.
ODM’s youth wing has thrown its weight behind former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s aide, Caesar Asiyo, to be its executive director. Mr Asiyo has also launched campaigns, including in the social media. The fight is fuelled by the huge resources the party is expected to control.

On Monday, ODM will conduct interviews for 10 candidates shortlisted for the position of executive director.

Transform party

Chairman of the committee in charge of recruitment Butere MP Andrew Toboso said 44 people had applied for the position from which the 10 had been shortlisted.
“We want someone who will help transform the party, do away with corruption and blow fresh air into our system as the executive director. That process will start tomorrow with the interviews,” Mr Toboso said.

He revealed that those invited for the interviews include former assistant minister Magerer Langat, Mr Kennedy Butiko, Ms Beth Syengo, Ms Amina Saidy and Mr John Kimutai. Others are Mr Naftali Mogere who is a former managing trustee of NSSF, Mr Nabbi Nabwera and Mr Asiyo.

He said that the party that is still recovering from the loss in the March 4 General Election is keen to ensure it hires the best manager.

Other members expected to participate in the interview panel are Mr Junet Mohammed (Suna East), Mr Aduma Awuor (Nyakach), Mr Kenedy Bosire (Kitutu Chache) and Women Representatives Florence Mutua (Busia) and Joyce Lai (Taita).

ODM, TNA, URP and Wiper are expected to get the lion’s share of the money, which is meant to promote independence of political parties and democracy in the country.

ODM expected more than Sh700 million from the government this financial year based on the number of seats and votes it garnered in the March 4 elections if the parties were allocated the 0.3 per cent as provided for in the Act.

But the National Treasury only gave Sh340 million. Besides, the exact amount that each party will get is still not known since the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is yet to release the vote tallies.

IEBC chairman Ahmed Issack Hassan had promised that the Commission would publish the figures this week, but so far it has not.

The Orange Young Democrats League officials, led by Mr John Ketora, Mr Bob Njagi and Ms Sheila Kosgei said they wanted Mr Asiyo to be ODM’s executive director because he had been a loyal member of the party.

Mr Asiyo is also favoured for the seat “since he is a technocrat, manager and is youthful”.

In TNA, a leadership row has erupted with some officials wanting Mr Sakaja out, saying, he is a state officer following his nomination to the National Assembly. They also want secretary-general Onyango Oloo replaced on claims he is in line for a government job.

But Mr Sakaja accuses the officials of planning to stage a coup in the party instead of following its laid-down procedures and waiting for the national delegates conference where polls would be done.

“I advise those interested in the position of TNA chairman to wait for the national delegates conference and face me at the ballot. For the avoidance of doubt, that night gathering has no legal or political implications,” Mr Sakaja said.

Speaking to the Sunday Nation, Mr Sakaja said he was still TNA chairman, adding that the Constitution is clear one could only leave the position if appointed a state officer.

Powers to replace

He said his position as an MP is a nominated one. Mr Sakaja and Mr Oloo said that only the party’s NDC has powers to replace officials.

“The disgruntled officials want to ascend to leadership through the back door or underhand deals. They should wait for elections. Nothing comes easy,” Mr Oloo said.

On claims that he was eyeing a government job, Mr Oloo said he had not applied for any and that nothing bars party officials from seeking the said jobs.

Mr Oloo said TNA, like any other political party, operates under the Kenya Constitution, its own and the Political Parties Act which, he added, the disgruntled officials should follow if they want to effect any changes.

“Article 77 of the Constitution only bars appointed state officers from holding positions in political parties. [Mr] Sakaja is not an appointed state officer,” Mr Oloo said from Kisumu.

He said only the secretary-general is mandated to call a meeting of the party and that the four officials, who met two weeks ago and called for their removal, were being used by outsiders to wreck the party.

“They are out to cause disunity in the party. You remember recently we trounced our opponents in the General Election and they might be scheming on how to wreck us,” Mr Oloo said, adding that some individuals could also be eyeing the millions of shillings the TNA is to get from the public coffers for political parties.

Mr Sakaja said he had sought an opinion from the Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution and it had affirmed that he was right to continue holding the party’s chairmanship.

Additional Reporting by Isaac Ongiri and Walter Menya