ODM Clashes With Govt Over Unreleased Billions
Edwin Sifuna, secretary general of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), protested on Thursday against the national government’s alleged irregular reduction of the Political Parties Fund.
The Nairobi Senator asserted in correspondence to the Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu that the national government has suggested a Ksh867 million reduction in the fund, as evidenced by the most recent Supplementary Budget Estimates for the Fiscal Year 2023/2024.
“We note with concern that with the reduction of the Fund, political parties will be immensely deprived of the resources to fund programs and activities contained in their work plans for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters,” the letter signed by Sifuna read.
ODM argued in the letter that the 48 registered parties in the country ought to receive Ksh6.093 billion, based on the Ksh2 trillion in revenue collected by KRA for the Financial Year 2021/2022. This amount is calculated using the 0.3% formula, which is employed to determine the legal eligibility of political outfits for financial contributions.
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“The foregoing is in utter violation of political parties legitimate expectations and limitation of their rights under the Political Parties Act and the Constitution of Kenya,” the letter further stated.
Sifuna additionally noted that during the fiscal year 2022/2023, the fund experienced a comparable reduction of Ksh590 million implemented by the national government.
The party argued that political parties’ complaints regarding the matter, which ODM obtained a court order to collect from the registrar, were never addressed.
Gazzete Notice
The Registrar of Political Parties has announced in a gazette notice that for the 2023/2024 fiscal year, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will receive the highest portion of the Political Parties Fund.
The notice in the gazette states that UDA will obtain Ksh576.9 million. In contrast, Jubilee will receive Ksh135.2 million and ODM will receive Ksh308.2 million.
The fund is also anticipated to be donated to Wiper Ksh72.2 million, the ANC Ksh26.6 million, and NARC-Kenya Ksh7.6 million.
It is anticipated that the cat will also benefit Ford Kenya (Ksh25.8 million), KANU (Ksh24 million), UDM (Ksh26.9 million), and Maendeleo ChapChap (Ksh12.7 million).
In the interim, this occurs as Raila Odinga, the leader of the ODM party, has expressed his approval of certain suggestions outlined in the report of the National Dialogue Committee (NDC).
Wednesday, the leader of the opposition alluded to the potentiality of a referendum that would formally establish the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.
ODM Clashes With Govt Over Unreleased Billions
