National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee [JLAC] chaired by Muturi Kigano during a sitting at parliament buildings on December 28, 2021. The committee was discussing the Political Parties Bill. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NMG
MPs on Wednesday night voted to lockout political parties from accessing the State cash if more than two-thirds of its registered office bearers are of the same gender.
The Political Parties Act, 2011, sets aside 0.3 percent of the national government revenue to finance activities of political parties in advancing democracy.
The ruling Jubilee and opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) are currently the only political parties that are entitled to a share of the Fund.
Political parties that fail to produce any elected MP, Senator, Governor or MCA will not be entitled to share tens of millions of shillings from the Political Parties Fund.
MPs on Wednesday night voted to lockout political parties from accessing the State cash if more than two-thirds of its registered office bearers are of the same gender.
Moreover, lawmakers introduced new changes to the contentious Political Parties (Amendment) Bill to stop State funding to parties that do not have, in its governing body, representation of special interest groups.
Currently, the Political Parties Act, 2011 stipulates that a political party receives zero funding if it does not secure at least five per cent of the total number of votes at the preceding General Election.
The total number of votes by a party is computed by tallying votes obtained in the preceding general polls by a political party in the election for the President, MPs, governors, and Members of County Assemblies.
“The party does not have an elected member of the National Assembly, an elected member of the Senate, an elected Governor, or an elected member of a county assembly,” the changes, introduced by Majority Leader Amos Kimunya, states.
The Political Parties Act, 2011, sets aside 0.3 percent of the national government revenue to finance activities of political parties in advancing democracy.
Despite the Act requiring that political parties get 0.3 per cent of the national government revenue, the political parties have over the period received about 0.03 per cent from the Treasury.
The ruling Jubilee and opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) are currently the only political parties that are entitled to a share of the Fund.
Parliament allocated Sh1.96 billion to the Political Parties Fund in the current financial year 2021/222 to be shared among parties that qualify for funding.
The political parties received Sh826.6 million in the previous financial year.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee and the Raila Odinga’s ODM are the only parties entitled to share tens of millions of shillings from the Political Parties Fund after meeting the stringent requirements set out in the Act.
According to the law, the money allocated to a political party from the Fund is meant to cover the election expenses of the party.
The law also allows a political party to spend the money for administrative expenses which must not exceed 10 percent of the total allocation.
