NSIS takes closer look at source of poll billions

NSIS takes closer look at source of poll billions

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Updated 4 hrs 26 mins ago

By Stephen Makabila

Senior intelligence operatives are taking a great deal of interest in the financial dealings of some presidential hopefuls, and their parties.

Their attention has been caught by the flurry of costly pre-campaign rallies being held more than eight months to the 2013 General Election.

Credible sources say quiet efforts are being made to follow the money ahead of the first election in which candidates are bound by campaign financing laws.

“There seems to be a lot of money at the disposal of some politicians,” a high-ranking source said yesterday. “We are watching their activities day in, day out.”

The interest by the nation’s spies comes as a coalition of civil society groups estimates that candidates for president will spend significantly more money in the upcoming race than was splashed out during the 2007 contest.

The Coalition for Accountable Political Financing (CAPF) says the top two political parties spent at least Sh6 billion in 2007; some of it was raised through illegal or criminal means. Candidates were then under no obligation to disclose financing arrangements.

CAPF predicts the upcoming contest will see much more spent on the presidential race, with the main contenders laying down as much as $100 million (over Sh8 billion) each. There are fears some of this money may be looted from public coffers or donated by narco-traffickers and other smugglers whose activities fund terrorism.

Security chiefs are reportedly curious about the methods potential candidates are using to build up their campaign chests.

Interest has been stirred by the extravagance on display during recent pre-campaign stops. Despite the real battle being many months away, top politicians are burning up money on helicopters, large motorcades, huge contributions at fundraisers, and slush funds to accommodate a retinue of aides and allied MPs.

With rising political stakes and shifting alliances, the last two months have witnessed a frenzy of campaign rallies by the leading aspirants.

“The frequency of these rallies has become a concern,” our intelligence source said. The Standard has established that at least three leaders are on the National Security Intelligence Service’s radar. The trio has been the most active politically, holding three or more rallies every weekend. Each rally requires at least Sh3 million, and some politicians have dropped close to Sh100 million crisscrossing the country ahead of the real race. 

A source within Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM told The Standard that the NSIS interest had created discomfort in the campaign. The source admitted this had affected preparation for Friday Sh100,000-a-plate dinner to raise funds for the party campaign operations.

Party finances

“NSIS is tracking the sources of our party finances and (those of) many other political parties as well,” confirmed the source on condition of anonymity.

The source of political funding is fast becoming a contentious issue.

Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo recently claimed the Government is sponsoring six parties and their presidential aspirants in an attempt to determine President Kibaki’s successor. State House, however, rejected the allegations and said Jirongo’s shady past marked him out as an unreliable source.

Political scientist Amukowa Anangwe of Tanzania’s University of Dodoma, says there are signs money is flowing from ‘invisible hands’ to influence the Kibaki succession. He, however, says there is no proof to back Jirongo’s claim. 

“I have done research on campaign financing in 21 countries and understand these things well,” he said.

 “Money is flowing, but it’s hard to pin-point State House (as the source) as some have done without evidence.”

PNU nominated MP George Nyamweya defended the United Democratic Forum’s sources of funding. UDF, the vehicle likely to be used by Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi, was one of the six parties Jirongo claimed were State-sponsored.

“We contribute money continuously,” Nyamweya said. “Recently, we had a funds drive at the Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, to cater for our costs.”

Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa, another presidential hopeful, says the Government is working on a law to keep illicit money out of the 2013 race.

Party finances

“It’s a priority Bill awaiting Cabinet approval and will be before Parliament when it resumes in August. I am sure MPs will pass it,” Wamalwa told The Standard.

But Nyamweya warns those who hope to use their financial muscle to secure victory in the elections may resist the Bill’s stringent provisions in Parliament.

The Campaign Financing Bill empowers the IEBC to set spending limits for presidential aspirants and others contesting elective positions. It proposes that candidates or parties that exceed more than 15 per cent of the spending limit during the campaigns be disqualified. 

There is no barrier to pre-campaign spending, however, raising doubts about how effective the proposed law will be.

Leading presidential aspirants already on the pre-campaign trail include Raila, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Deputy PMs Mudavadi and Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP, William Ruto, Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa, Assistant Minister Peter Kenneth, and Gichugu MP Martha Karua.