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The Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) has protested the move by the executive to reduce funding to parties by a whooping Sh867 million.

 In a brief to the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, RPP Ann Nderitu regretted that the decision will affect critical political parties’ activities that had been lined up for implementation.

 Nderitu noted that despite the political parties funding not being allocated the required funds since inception as per section 24 (1) (a) of the Political Parties Act (PPA) it has suffered cuts in two financial years including 2022/2023 financial year which was reduced by Sh590.6 million and in the 2023/2024 financial year.

 Section 24 (1) (a) of the Political Parties Act of 2011 provides that such funds not being less than 0.3 percent of all the national government’s share of revenue as divided by the annual Division of Revenue Act shall be allocated to the Political Parties’ Fund.

 Reads the document: “The budget cuts on the political parties fund will negatively affect critical political parties’ activities.”

 It adds: “The office of the Registrar of political Parties has been engaging the National Treasury and parliament through various correspondences that the government has not complied.

 Political parties’ activities that will be affected include organization of the party’s civic education in democracy and other electoral processes, payment of rent for party offices both at the headquarters and county offices, payment of salaries for parties’ staff, payment of utilities and other administrative expenses as well as population of party’s policies.

 Others are promotion of democracy, promotion of active participation by individuals citizens in political life as well as promotion of representation in parliament and in the county assemblies of women, persons with disabilities, youth, ethnic and other minorities and marginalized communities.