Because most of the cash raised cannot be monitored, what is actually spent by candidates and their parties probably runs into billions of shillings in total.
Reacting to the report, Mr James Mwamu, the Vice President East Africa Law Society said there
was high likelihood of State funds being siphoned for the campaigns.
Mr Mwalimu Mati, of the Mars Group said the regulations on funding of political parties and limiting contributions from individuals and foreign sources were only good on paper but not enforceable.
He said that just like in previous elections, campaign money would exert pressure on the shilling because of the high circulation of funds.
In 2007, President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) was the biggest beneficiary of the skewed allocation of airtime on national broadcaster, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) during campaigns in 2007, and also benefited the most from misuse of State resources, including vehicles, aircraft and security.
However, even the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and other parties were guilty of using cash to influence the Presidential, Parliamentary and civic votes in the ill-fated elections.
The report says candidates for presidential, Parliamentary and civic seats spent mind-boggling sums of cash to oil their campaign machinery and ensure victory in the run-up to the vote.
In 2007 exercise, candidates who are now in the Grand Coalition Government engaged in open bribery and vote buying to beat the competition.
The report indicates that parties and candidates in campaigns used Sh5.6 billion during the run-up to the 2007 election.
However, only Sh4.8 billion was raised through monitored fundraising events and donations from local and foreign donors.
“Besides party nomination fees and fundraising dinners, parties and candidates raised money from sources abroad, through the sale of personal assets, insurance companies, taking loans and taking part in pyramid schemes,” reads the report.
The source of a huge chunk of the money pumped into campaigns remains unknown according to the report.
Donors, some with dubious and corrupt backgrounds, contributed large sums of money to fund the various parties and candidates, while having an eye on State tenders and to protect the sources of their wealth.
Currently, Part V Section 31 (5) of the Political Parties Act out laws foreign contributions to parties, but the law is silent on candidates who are free to receive money from any source.
