Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Kenyans.co.ke
Published on 2024-04-03 11:45:35
The Orange Democratic Party (ODM) has disclosed its plan to conduct grassroots elections at the end of April 2024. The decision was prompted by a financial constraint, leading the party to extend the nationwide exercise over three days. The announcement was made on April 3 after a central meeting of the party.
ODM’s Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, stated that the elections would commence on April 27. The approach outlined by Sifuna involves elections in Kwale, Busia, and Siaya counties on April 27, followed by Kajiado, Migori, and Wajir on April 29. The final round of elections for Kisii, Vihiga, and Muranga counties is scheduled for April 30. However, a detailed timetable for elections in other county branches will be released at a later date.
The party expressed concerns about what it perceives as government-induced funding shortages for political parties. ODM criticized the state of the Political Parties Fund, which was designed to enhance democracy by supporting active participation in political life and covering election expenses. The party accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of intentionally withholding funds from political parties, causing operational difficulties.
Figures released by the National Treasury revealed that the Political Parties Fund allocated Ksh1.48 billion to various political parties in the previous fiscal year. The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party led the funding allocations, receiving Ksh577.2 million, followed by ODM with Ksh308.3 million. The Jubilee Party received Ksh135.1 million, while the Wiper Party and the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) secured Ksh72.1 million and Ksh31.6 million, respectively.
Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula highlighted the distribution of MPs among these parties, with UDA having the most representatives at 145, followed by ODM with 86, Jubilee with 28, and Wiper with 26. In the Senate, UDA maintained a significant presence with 32 out of 67 senators affiliated with the party.
The Political Parties Act of 2011 mandates that 0.3 per cent of the national government revenue is allocated to finance political parties. This allocation is based on various criteria, including the total number of votes secured in the previous general election, the number of elected leaders, administrative expenses, and the number of nominated leaders.
The Electoral Commission has announced plans to conduct grassroots elections starting at the end of April 2024. This decision comes after a financial constraint led the party to extend the nationwide exercise over three days. The announcement was made on April 3 after a central meeting of the party.
ODM’s Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, announced that the elections would begin on April 27. The approach outlined by Sifuna includes elections in Kwale, Busia, and Siaya counties on April 27, followed by Kajiado, Migori, and Wajir on April 29. The final round of elections for Kisii, Vihiga, and Muranga counties is scheduled for April 30. However, a detailed timetable for elections in other county branches will be released at a later date.
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