Uhuru, Ruto asked to name campaign financiers as they get set to spend Ksh 10 Billion on campaigns!

[Ab-Titchaz]

Uhuru, Ruto asked to name campaign financiers

By Robert Nyasato

Kisii, Kenya: Several ODM MPs led by Public Works Minister Chris Obure have asked Jubilee Alliance leaders to make public who was financing their presidential campaigns.

The leaders who included Trade Assistant Minister Manson Nyamweya, Cord Kisii County gubernatorial candidate James Ongwae and city lawyer Joash Maangi challenged Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and his presidential running mate William Ruto to disclose their source of wealth.

"Let them tell Kenyans who is funding their campaigns because the public has a right to that information," charged Nyamweya.

However, Mr Kenyatta's spokesman Munyori Buku dismissed the calls, saying the law requiring parties to disclose their funding has not come into force.

"What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Let them (Cord) also be prepared to account for every coin that they spend in their campaigns," he told The Standard on phone.

Munyori said Kenyatta and Ruto were under no obligation to account to anybody before the law comes into force.

The Elections Campaign Financing Bill, which gives effect to Article 88(4) (i) of the constitution and Section 4 (i) of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Act, seeks to provide for the regulation, expenditure and accountability of election campaigns funds during election.

The leaders were speaking in Kisii during a road show to drum up support for Prime Minister Raila Odinga's presidential bid, parallel to another rally that was being held in the area by Uhuru and his team.

Nyamweya said Kenyans had raised issues about how the jubilee leaders were spending in their campaigns hence they should not keep mum over it.

Ongwae said the Jubilee brigade should not be pre-occupied with the age factor saying Cord had more youthful minds compared to them.

Obure said for the second time, Abagusii will vote as a block for Raila, a fete only realised in 2002 when the then Ford People leader, former Cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae stood for presidency.

The minister urged Gusii leaders who were still outside Cord to review their stand and join the winning team or wait to face the wrath of voters.

Obure who is vying for the Kisii County senate seat said Cord nominations would be fair and transparent and those peddling rumours that some aspirants have tickets in their pockets should be reminded that ODM espoused democracy as exercised by members.

Devolved governance, Ongwae said, was a brainchild of ODM and implementing the process will be achieved under Raila's leadership.

Standard Digital News - Kenya : Kenya : Uhuru, Ruto asked to name campaign financiers

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

UHURU TO SPEND SH10 BILLION IN CAMPAIGN

Monday, January 7, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY OLIVER MATHENGE

The Jubilee Coalition will spend an estimated Sh10 billion in campaigns aimed at propelling Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta's presidential bid.

Last week, Uhuru's TNA acquired 10 branded four-wheel-drive vehicles at an estimated cost of Sh30 million. The vehicles painted red with Uhuru's name on the side are to be used to transport TNA staff during rallies and roadshows.

Late last year, Uhuru's running mate William Ruto of URP acquired five four-wheel-drive vehicles and bought a chopper. The two Jubilee leaders now have four choppers at their disposal - two of which they own and the other two hired by the Uhuru campaign on an as needed basis.

Research shows that a helicopter costs between Sh500 million and Sh1 billion depending on manufacturer, size and age. Currently, chopper service providers are charging between Sh150,000 and Sh200,000 for every hour spent airborne.

Jubilee insiders, and especially those from Uhuru's side, estimate that the largest portion of his campaign budget will be spent on rallies and publicity. This month alone, the Jubilee campaign is set to spend almost Sh300 million on three events in Nairobi. They are planning a launch of the coalition this Saturday at Kasarani; a presidential campaign launch; and a manifesto launch.

When the URP-TNA pact was unveiled at Afraha, Nakuru last month, insiders revealed they had prepared a budget of Sh25 million but it shot up to Sh30 million. During the recent delegates conference to endorse Uhuru, the coalition spent more than Sh50 million, a large portion being delegates' fees.


Some have now revealed to the Star that at least Sh3 billion has been set aside to cover political rallies and meet-the-people tours for their candidates.

Strategists within the coalition yesterday said Uhuru and Ruto will this week start daily house-to-house tours and town hall meetings to sell their agenda to the voters.

Mid this month, the Jubilee team is also planning to kick off a series of media campaigns on radio, TV and newspapers to explain their policies. These campaigns will also be complimented by 100 billboards at entry and exit points of all major towns.

It is estimated that the TV adverts to be run on three stations, on average three times a day, will cost at least Sh15 million. A 30 second spot on TV costs between Sh40,000 and Sh45,000.

The billboards will cost an estimated Sh10 million as service providers are currently charging an average of Sh100,000 per billboard per month.

Other than their individual party and campaign secretariats, Uhuru and Ruto are putting together a joint secretariat to be unveiled this week. The secretariat, whose first task will be to harmonise the URP and TNA and their affiliates' manifestos, will be housed at the offices that were used by PNU, which has since joined up with TNA.

The different campaign secretariats have been spending tens of millions of shillings a month for operations and recurrent expenditure including salaries.
A large number of their expenditure has also been for facilitation especially to supporters mobilised to attend rallies and other meetings.

This year's election is expected to be the most expensive especially for the leading presidential contenders and their parties. The Constitution requires that a presidential nominee collects 2,000 signatures from 24 counties.

On the actual election day, a presidential candidate may incur up to Sh100 million to cover fees and logistics for agents to ensure that all the 40,000 polling centres are covered.

In the 2007 elections, President Kibaki's PNU is reported to have spent Sh390 million on party agents. A survey by the Coalition for Accountable Political Financing, a Nairobi-based think tank, estimated that the leading presidential candidates in the 2007 poll, President Kibaki (PNU) and Prime Minister Raila Odinga (ODM) spent close to Sh6 billion.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and his Wiper party (then ODM-K), who came in third in the race, spent Sh157 million. And this is money that, according to the study, was traceable.

The Campaign Finance Bill, which intends to bridge the funding gap among political parties, curb corruption, limit the influence of special interests, limit the impact of money on the outcome of elections and force parties to be accountable to members, has stalled in Parliament since it was published in November.

The Elections Act has banned candidates from raising money from foreigners and imposed a maximum limit of Sh5 million that a single donor can contribute.


UHURU TO SPEND SH10 BILLION IN CAMPAIGN | The Star

 

[Dhuks]

I have yet to hear of a public announcement on who is funding any coalition so far so its time to separate petty politics from real issues.

 

[mfianchi]

Du hiyo hela itawatajirisha wajanja wachache tu tena walio ndugu zao,kwani si ajabu utakuta hizo Landrover zinatoka kwenye mtu aliye kwenye JUBILE,billboards etc hizo hela ziarudi kwao wenyewe,inanikumbusha Tanzania wakati billboards za kampeni ya Raisi kupitia CCM ,tenda ilienda kwa kigogo wa chama hicho hicho na akainflate bei ya hizo billboards.Siasa ni BIASHARA,kampeni za uchaguzi nazo ni BIASHARA,akina Wanjiku ndo wanaobeba furushi la umasikini ndio ngazi ya waheshimiwa kufaniskisha mambo yao