How parties mint millions from those aggrieved with nomination outcomes

After minting millions from thousands of aspirants seeking elective offices, political parties are at it again.

This time they are cashing on the aspirants disaffection with the results.

Initially the parties were pocketing between Sh15,000 to Sh 1 million from aspirants  who wished to vie presidency, Deputy President, Governor, Deputy Governor, MP, Senator and Member of County Assembly (MCA).
However, the nominations some which were shambolic and saw many sitting and aspiring politicians floored the parties have now turned the losers into a cash cow.
The Jubilee Party (JP) and National Super Alliance (Nasa) have been the most affected candidates as Senators, MPs, Women Reps appealing to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) appeals tribunal have to cough up Sh75,000.
The fee is lower for MCAs whose cases are being handled by county dispute tribunals.
The Orange party's tribunal, headed by lawyer Willis Otieno a sitting in Nairobi had by yesterday handled 30 appeals.
This translates to Sh2.25 million.
For Jubilee, those with complaints are required to fill a form from Jubilee's website and submit it at the headquarters with a Sh1,000 filing fee.
Faith Waigwa, the chairperson of Jubilee's appeals tribunal said they have handled 508 cases by the deadline yesterday. THis means that the party got Sh38 million.
The Wiper party charges Sh10,000 for each appeal while to lodge a complaint at the PPDT, one has to part with Sh20,000.
The fee for appeals for Ford Kenya, Party of National Unity, Amani National Congress and Chama Cha Mashinani ranges from Sh10,000 to Sh50,000.
Those who want to vie as independents also have to pay for some services.
To get a certifiacte of clearance from the Registrar of Political Parties to run as an independent, one has to pay Sh500 as such fees for the symbol they want to use.
It is a hard time for politicians as those who are contesting the outcome of the nominations end up losing the appeals.
A number of them have taken their parties to court, praying to compel them to pay back their nominations fees.
Bitter not to accept defeat, others have resorted to beating up those who were in charge of their campaigns for doing a poor job.
Aspiring MCAs who has paid Sh15,000 as nomination fees to Maendeleo Chap Chap have threatened take the party to court for failing to carry out nominations.
The party commissioned a research by Infotrak and gave nomination certificates to those who emerged as favourites. It didn't carry out primaries.