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The five National Super Alliance (Nasa) affiliates will now share Sh341.3 million of the Political Parties Fund based on each party’s parliamentary strength.

In a letter addressed to the four co-principals, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga said the party  had deliberated internally and resolved to share the political parties’ fund, a move that was dismissed by some of the Nasa affiliates as coming too late.

The affiliates, however, conceded that they were willing to rethink their decision to abandon Nasa if ODM would accept that all the parties operate as equal partners.

Raila wrote to Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress (ANC), Ford-Kenya’s Moses Wetangula and Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) boss Isaac Ruto.

“ODM is appreciative of the constructive consultations that have taken place among leaders of our respective parties.

Our party has deliberated internally and resolved without prejudice, we share with our coalition partners ODM’s share of the Political Parties Fund attributable to parliamentary and excluding, presidential, gubernatorial and County Assemblies votes for the financial years 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20,” said Raila in his letter.

In the agreement, ODM will get Sh187.9 million, Wiper Sh70.4 million, Amani National Congress (ANC) Sh43.8 million, Ford Kenya Sh36 million while Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) will get Sh3 million in the shareable parties fund. The money is spread from the 2017/18 to 2019/20 financial years.

But Ford Kenya Organising Secretary Chris Mandu Mandu said that though they welcomed ODM’s gesture, it was coming too late after they had already made up their mind to bolt out of the coalition.

“The good thing is that we are now begging from somewhere. But the decision to move out is a foregone conclusion.

But we can rethink about the decision only if ODM commits itself to respect the affiliates as equal partners,” Mandu Mandu told People Daily.

He equally faulted the manner in which ODM arrived at the calculations on how the parties would share out the money, which he said was not through consultation. 

Likewise, ANC deputy party leader and Lugari MP Ayub Savula welcomed the move, but warned that the outfit would no longer accept to play second fiddle to ODM.

“ODM should remember that the days when Raila and his brigade used to bully and intimidate political partners is long gone. He must play ball and learn to respect others,” said Savula.

Nasa agreement

An agreement by Nasa deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties on April 27, 2017, indicates that partner parties were to benefit equally from the political parties funding attributed to the presidential candidate.

“All votes accruing to the presidency shall be shared among the coalition parties.

Funds due to the party from which the coalition presidential candidate has been attributed to the presidential vote shall be shared equally among the coalition parties,” the agreement states.

According to ODM, the five parties under the Nasa coalition received 10 million parliamentary votes  

“It is our sincere hope that this would bring closure to the unhealthy exchange of words that has attended this matter,” reads Raila’s letter to his co-principals.

This was a climb-down by the former premier, who has previously insisted that he did not owe his coalition partners a single cent.

On Monday, Wiper leader Kalonzo lauded Raila for the gesture of accepting to share the political parties fund, saying it was a genuine attempt by the ODM boss to resolve issues bringing problems in Nasa.

Raila’s move

“We appreciate Raila’s move. We have received the letter and filed it. These are monies from the Consolidated Fund.

These are Kenyan taxes and I knew there were extremists within ODM who didn’t want to share these monies,” charged Kalonzo.

He, however, averred that they were still open for talks with ODM even as he maintained that his party was not ready to play second fiddle to anybody.

In his letter to his colleagues, Raila also expressed optimism that the decision would bring to closure the unhealthy exchange of words over the matter.

Kalonzo said the decision to severe links with ODM would not make the two parties enemies, since they were still free to join forces in the new formation ahead of the next poll.