Independent candidates in Kenya who secure at least five percent of the vote in an election may soon benefit from public funding, thanks to proposed changes in the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The groundbreaking proposal aims to level the playing field by giving independents a financial boost similar to that enjoyed by registered political parties.
Suba South MP Caroli Omondi is championing the amendments, which seek to expand the Political Parties Fund to include qualified independent candidates. The National Assembly is expected to debate the proposed changes in the coming week.
As part of the reforms, Omondi wants Parliament to drop a clause that would have created an Independent Political Parties Regulatory Commission. Instead, he recommends forming a four-member advisory board to manage and oversee the expanded fund.
Clause 5A of the amendment bill outlines the establishment of a new entity, the Political Parties and Independent Candidates Fund, to serve both political parties and eligible independents.
According to the proposal, the advisory board would include the Registrar of Political Parties, who would also act as the chairperson. The other members would be a lawyer with over ten years of experience nominated by the Law Society of Kenya, a certified accountant nominated by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and an arbitrator selected by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
“These people will not be appointees of the political parties but will be independent and recruited competitively. This route is cheaper than having a commission,” Omondi said.
Board members would serve on a part-time basis for a single, non-renewable three-year term. The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties would provide administrative support and secretarial services to the board.
Omondi dismissed concerns that financial support could attract a surge in independent aspirants, stating that a robust democracy should welcome competition from all sides.
“There is no limit to political parties that can participate in any election, that’s the same way there should be no limit to independent candidates,” he said, as quoted by Daily Nation.
The proposed amendments also include changes to Section 25 of the existing law. Under the new structure, 70 percent of the Political Parties Fund would be shared between political parties and independent candidates, in proportion to the votes they received in the last general election. Independent candidates would need to secure at least five percent of the vote in their race to qualify for funding.
An additional 15 percent of the fund would support candidates from special interest groups, while 10 percent would go directly to independent candidates based on their total vote count.
The bill strictly limits how these funds can be used. Candidates and parties must direct the money toward election-related expenses, with only 30 percent permitted for administrative and staff costs.
“The money allocated to a political party or an independent candidate shall not be used for any purpose other than those specified in this section,” the draft bill states.
