Cord leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka have vehemently opposed limiting campaign spending as proposed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Raila claims the cash limits were part of a plan for Jubilee to launder stolen Eurobond and the National Youth Service (NYS) money.
The Cord principal and possible 2017 presidential candidate has rejected the campaign spending caps ahead of the 2017 general elections saying the limits would likely reduce Kenya's leadership to favour the ones with money.
IEBC's aim is to create a level playing field to eliminate voter bribery, curb misuse of public resources and money from illegal sources.
But on this one, Raila seems to be speaking from both sides of his mouth as ha has not proposed a figure. What he does not tell Kenyans though is that he stands to benefit immensely if the cash inflows and spending were not regulated.
Already, the Political Parties Act allows politicians to be funded through taxpayers’ money-through their vehicles of seeking elective posts. Currently, Cord and Jubilee have the highest number of politicians at all legislative levels meaning that the money form the exchequer to the political parties is benefiting all politicians regardless of affiliation.
Raila discredited the IEBC saying the caps were a coded message to Kenyans that only the super-rich can seek elective seats.
In a statement on Friday, Raila said, "This is clearly an attempt to limit the country’s leadership to the monied elite regardless of how the money has been acquired."
In the guidelines, IEBC said presidential candidates will spend no more than Sh5.2 billion on campaigns while governors, senators and woman representatives, MPs and MCAs will spend no more than Sh400, Sh33 and Sh10 million respectively.
Raila disparaged the commission further saying it did not consult anyone on the proposed spending caps and that “it lacks structures to enforce the rules” and that the proposal was a "terrible plan to corrupt" the political process and ravage the economy.
Being the official opposition leader, Raila could rake in billions ‘for his party’ and just like Kenyans never get to know how this money was spent, it could as well end up in his pockets and those of other leaders in higher echelons of Cord.
In December 2015, the BBC revealed that British American Tobacco (BAT), one of the UK’s biggest companies made a secret political donation to Martha Karua who was a presidential candidate in 2013.
Karua acknowledged receiving the money -quoted at £50,000 and an equivalent of almost Sh7 million. Reportedly, the ‘donation’ would help prevent a rival company supplying Kenya with technology to combat cigarette smuggling.
Here, money made more sense than people’s lives which are put at risk by smoking.
Karua whose chances of winning were minimal makes the donation fade in comparison to what Raila would make from prospective supporters bearing in mind the control he has in Kenya’s politics.
While accusing the IEBC of perpetuating corruption, Raila should ensure that laws that oppress citizens by exposing them to exploitation are not passed in parliament. He is not genuine when he himself has never made public what he spends on his campaigns.
He should lead the IEBC by showing how to oversee credible elections by weeding out corruption and the big man syndrome.