William Ruto, Raila Odinga parties get lion's share of funds

President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will get the lion's share of Sh1.48 billion disbursed to political parties in the 2022/2023 financial year.

A Friday notice by the Registrar of Political Parties, Ann Nderitu, showed UDA will receive Sh577 million from the Political Parties Fund (PPF), while ODM, which ranks second, will receive Sh308 million.

This means the two political outfits make up 60 per cent of the Sh1.48 billion the 48 political parties eligible for the annual funding, will receive.

Jubilee Party, which last year earned Sh353 million has been allocated Sh135 million, while Kalonzo Musyoka's Wiper Democratic Movement will receive Sh72 million.

The fund is allocated according to the number of votes secured by each party in the preceding election.

However, the registrar of political parties has stated that postponed elections in five wards and budget cuts anticipated in the second half of the current financial year could affect this year's disbursements.

"The government has initiated the process of the re-alignment (budget cuts) of the 2022/2023 budget and if the current allocated amount of Sh1.48 billion is affected by the budget realignment, it will have an impact on the allocations," said Ms Nderitu in the notice.

President Ruto in September asked government to cut Sh300 billion from the current spending plan.

Speaker Moses Wetang'ula said a supplementary budget will be tabled in Parliament before the Christmas break. Data from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, (ORPP) indicates there were 73 registered political parties as at June 2021.

In the last financial year, the funds were disbursed to Jubilee Party (Sh514 million) and ODM (Sh430 million) only as the two parties that met the constitutional threshold.

This year, 48 parties are set to receive the allocations, following amendments to the Political Parties (Amendment) Act, 2022.

The amendments stipulate that 70 per cent of the fund will be allocated proportionately by reference to the number of votes secured by each party in the preceding general election.

Another 15 per cent is disbursed as per the elected number of party candidates from special interest groups.

Ten per cent is allocated based on number of representatives from the party elected in the preceding general election, while five per cent goes to administrative expenses.

In September, the ORPP met with secretary generals drawn from political parties that participated in the August poll and urged them to utilise the funds wisely.

"All parties qualifying for the Fund must be accountable for their allocation and use it for purposes compatible with democratic principles as prescribed in the Political Parties Act, 2011," said Ms Nderitu.

Section 24 of the Political Parties Act indicates the fund will primarily be capitalised by taxpayers through a minimum 0.3 per cent allocation of all government's share of revenue as divided by the annual Division of Revenue Act.