By David Ohito

Internal wrangles within Party of National Unity are partly to blame for the delay in the operationalisation of funding for political parties, as provided for in law.

The Political Parties Act provides for the establishment of a fund to be known as the Political Parties Fund, which shall be administered by the Registrar.

The sources of the Fund are those provided for by the Minister for Finance in the annual estimates and contributions from any other source.

The Act demands that monies allocated to a registered political party from the Fund may be used for purposes compatible with democracy, including promoting active participation by individual citizens in political life.

Political parties are important governance structures. If they remain weak then it weakens the democratic system.

In the 2009/10 Budget, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta allocated Sh200 million for parties under the fund, which critics have dismissed as too little to support activities of more than 50 registered parties.

The big casualties will be the small parties with less than 20 MPs and a small number of civic candidates. The biggest single beneficiary is ODM with 99 out of the 210 elected MPs.

Sources within PNU say the move to create the fund have been shelved following proposals to have PNU and affiliate parties benefit from one kitty.

Interestingly, Uhuru doubles up as the Kanu chairman. Kanu led the protests against lumping of what they would carry away from the Political Parties Fund with that of PNU.

With the Budget statement issued and without any funding coming soon, political parties may still have to rely on donors, patrons, party leaders and MPs to finance their activities.

The law says 15 per cent of the Fund is to be distributed equally among the political parties. From the kitty, 80 per cent shall be distributed proportionately by reference to the total number of votes secured at the last General Election by each political party’s presidential, parliamentary and civic candidates.

PNU wing of the coalition was thrown into bigger problems by a clause that says ‘where a presidential candidate is supported by more than one political party, only the votes cast for parliamentary and civic candidates of the respective parties shall be taken into account in calculating the amount payable to the respective parties.’

PNU, a coalition of parties including Kanu and ODM Kenya, supported President Kibaki in the last General Election.

The balance of five per cent is spent on administration expenses of the Fund.

The funds are intended to support election expenses of parties and broadcasting of the policies of the political party. Part of the funds that may be allocated to political parties are also intended for civic education in democracy and other electoral processes.

The Act also spells out that no more than 25 per cent would be used for the administrative expenses of the party.

The Centre for Multi-party Democracy (CMD) says "political parties play an important representative and aggregating function in a democracy, linking the public and institutions of governance".

"Parties amplify voices of citizens and hold Government to account," CMD chairman Prof Larry Gumbe said.

Gumbe called a news conference where he criticised Uhuru, saying: "Uhuru has failed to provide funds for political parties in the current Budget and we demand immediate release of funds within 30 days or political parties will mobilise their members to eject him from office."

South Africa retired Judge Johann Kriegler, who investigated the bungled 2007 General Election, said State funding of political parties would improve the status of parties so that they can play the role they rightfully should.

Gumbe argues that funding political parties should be seen as being part of the wider reform agenda that the country is keen on.

"All financial scams in the country have links to financing of political parties. This applies to Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing and even the Grand Regency saga," Gumbe says.

"The irony is that the Political Parties Act bars parties from accessing foreign funds, a source that they have tapped into in the past," Gumbe said.

The CMD warned that without adequate funding, political parties would be dominated by a few people with fat pockets and may muzzle the masses.

"Political parties often lack internal democracy, while women and youth are often marginalised. The conduct of their election is wanting and was partly blamed for the election fiasco in 2007," Gumbe said.

"Sh200 million is very little. It means small parties like Safina, ODM-K, Kanu, Ford-K, New Ford Kenya and Narc will end up with Sh1 million or less," Gumbe said.

Kanu Legal Secretary Justin Muturi says part of the problem with the Fund was the absence of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission after the Electoral Commission of Kenya was dissolved.

"It is true we in Kanu resisted that our funding be channelled through PNU. We are an independent entity and we want our share," Muturi said.

"Why should we be giving our money to the party of (Prof George) Saitoti?" Muturi asked.

Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua termed lack of adequate funding for political parties as contravention of the law.