[Alego-Usonga Mp, Samuel Atandi (in spectacle L) flanked by an ardent ODM supporter Saturday morning when he said NASA fundraiser was legitimate.Photo/Roberto]
Alego-Usonga MP, Samuel Atandi has said the ongoing initiative to raise funds for the National Super Alliance (NASA) flagbearer Raila Odinga Odinga presidential campaigns is legitimate.
The legislature said the funds raised will go a long way in ensuring smooth running of the high stake campaigns in the fresh election as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Raila Odinga, the MP said, had humbly requested Kenyans of goodwill to make small contributions towards his campaign as their kitty was running low on finances.
Speaking at a Kisumu Hotel during a media briefing, Atandi pointed out that indeed; the move goes to reaffirm the common mwanannchi that their campaigns are legitimately financed unlike Jubilee whose campaign funds are allegedly from clandestine proceeds.
Atandi additionally claimed that such funds had been hived off our taxes and other corruption-related dealings perpetrated by senior elements of the Jubilee administration.
“Specifically, we single out Hon. Aden Duale, who like most of his Jubilee colleagues has been blinded with corruption monies. He does not share in the values of majority of Kenyans who genuinely believe that small donor contributions can make a huge difference”, he stated.
In the USA, for instance, he said Clinton’s campaign received 16 percent of its money in donations of USD 200 (Kshs.20, 000) or less in her 2016 presidential run.
He added that the current US President Donald Trump’s campaign received 26 percent of its funds from small donations. In the 2012 election cycle, President Obama raised 32 percent of his total campaign funds in small donations while Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney raised 5 percent.
“In fact, the overwhelming grassroots support Obama received in both of his successful presidential bids in 2008 and 2012 were partly because of this small-donor funding by common American citizens that believed he represented their values and interests”, he reiterated.