ODM Triumphs: Court Awards Ksh1.2 Billion in Landmark Political Funding Battle Against Govt
The High Court in Nairobi, on May 21, rejected the government’s decision to cut political parties’ budget by Ksh800 million.
Justice Chacha Mwita, presiding over the case, supported the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party’s demand to revert to the original allocation of Ksh1.2 billion.
The court found fault with the government’s action of reducing Ksh800 million from the Political Parties Fund in the 2023 supplementary budget, stating it contradicted the law.
In his verdict, Justice Chacha emphasized the National Assembly’s responsibility to allocate political parties a minimum of 0.3 percent of the government’s revenue.
The court highlighted that the amount assigned to political parties in the Appropriations Act couldn’t be diminished by the Supplementary Appropriation Act.
The ruling declared the reduction of funds for the Political Parties Fund as unconstitutional, citing various articles of the Constitution and the Political Parties Act.
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Furthermore, the court ordered the nullification of vote No. R1311 in the Supplementary Appropriation Act (No.3) of 2023, as published in the Kenya Gazette on November 24, 2023.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna hailed the court’s decision as a significant victory for political parties as pillars of democracy.
Previously, ODM had filed a petition accusing the government of slashing political parties’ budget by Ksh800 million.
ODM argued, through its lawyer Jackton Owele, that the government’s action violated their legitimate expectations and deprived them of the necessary funds to carry out their mandates effectively.
The party expressed concern that the budget cut would severely hamper their ability to finance programs and activities outlined in their work plans for subsequent quarters, seeing it as a violation of their rights under the Political Parties Act and the Constitution of Kenya.
ODM Triumphs: Court Awards Ksh1.2 Billion in Landmark Political Funding Battle Against Govt