TNA’s shot in the arm for youthful party aspirants

TNA’s shot in the arm for youthful party aspirants

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Updated 6 hrs 38 mins ago

By Alex Ndegwa

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) will finance campaigns for the party’s youthful candidates who do not have the financial muscle to compete with well-heeled opponents.

In a radical move designed to attract youthful leaders discouraged from electoral competition by financial constraints, TNA has resolved to set up a Young Aspirants Fund.

TNA National Oversight Board resolved during a meeting held on Wednesday at party headquarters to fund campaigns for deserving candidates who clinch the party’s nomination.

The fund is meant to support youthful candidates who are aspiring for various political seats through the party ticket as part of a leadership development programme, according to TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja.

“TNA, which supports a generational change in the political scene, will raise these funds through a fundraising whose date will be communicated later,” Sakaja said. The ban on aspirants for various elective positions presiding over harambees does not extend to a fundraising for candidate for an election or a political party.

Grand launch

Since TNA’s grand and much publicised launch in May, the party has sought to push the boundaries of political party organisation. The latest decision comes against the backdrop of the legislative clamour to regulate campaign and political financing.

In response to the draft Campaign Financing Bill, the Centre for Multi-party Democracy Kenya (CMD-Kenya) welcomed the measure, saying the big money politics only favoured the wealthy.

“The financial requirements for entry into electoral competition appear to be getting higher and higher, resulting in political exclusion of those who cannot afford the cost,” a CMD-Kenya report observed.

Unregulated campaign financing, it said, often created an uneven playing field in election contest. “Large sums of money give certain parties and/or candidates undue advantage over others,” CMD-Kenya argued. “Very often the candidates with the most money always win the election or party nomination process.” TNA is attempting to shore up the not-so-well-to-do aspirants to stem the effect that such wide discrepancies in levels of funding between candidates is limiting opportunities for political competition and disenfranchising challengers.

“This comes due to the realisation by the party that there exist many young Kenyans who are visionary, competent and passionate about leadership but shy away from participating in elections due to lack of financial resources and thus deny the country the benefit of their leadership,” Sakaja added.

Party agenda

TNA is yet to devise comprehensive guidelines for the selection of beneficiaries to the party’s inaugural leadership development programme.

Those who will be eligible for the support will be identified by the party from amongst candidates aged between 18 and 35 years who will win at the party’s nominations. However, the uneven playing field occasioned by bribery is even more pronounced at party nominations stage.

They will, however, be required to demonstrate their need for such support. The party announced it would name Trustees to the fund in due course. Apart from financial support, TNA will train all its successful candidates in campaign management, communication, fundraising and various other modules in readiness for the General Election.

During rallies, Uhuru has stressed TNA will uphold free and fair nominations and that he had no preferred candidates for any of the positions.

The Gatundu South MP warned various political aspirants in central Kenya against using his name to get votes in the elections or win party nominations.

“Don’t use my name to gain popularity” is the message Uhuru has for political aspirants falling over themselves to ride the crest of his brand to power.

Uhuru said he was aware some of those seeking parliamentary, senatorial and governorship posts were claiming he favoured them in the race.

“When the time for campaigns come, I will be asking for your vote (for the presidency) as Uhuru Kenyatta. The rest will come to you in their individual capacity. All the aspirants should participate in a free and fair nomination,” was the message the DPM repeated at every stop he made during his recent extensive tour of Tharaka Nithi, Meru and Embu counties.

“No one should come to you (voters) claiming that I’m supporting them. All those interested in the seat should seek votes and participate in the nominations,” he said at meetings where nearly all aspirants distributed materials emblazoned with their pictures and that of Uhuru.

TNA officials would not be contesting elective posts in the elections to check the undue influence they may wield over other aspirants.

The resolution to pool resources for distribution to candidates requiring financial support is a step towards levelling the playing field. It is often titled in favour of the ruling party or the incumbent candidates, who control political apparatus for their own advantage and to the disadvantages of challengers.

“Democracy requires strong party organisations that compete for political power in fair elections and to keep the system functioning, political parties and individual candidates must have the resources to run successful campaigns,” CMD-Kenya contends.

Yet running successful electoral campaigns requires enormous resources and the forthcoming General Election is billed more expensive than that of 2007.

Logistics budget

The Coalition for Accountable Political Financing (CAPF) says the top two political parties spent at least Sh6 billion in 2007. The logistics budget was especially high for the opposition, with the party whose members were in Government being cushioned from logistical and security expenses by their access to State resources.

CAPF predicts the upcoming contest will see much more money spent especially on the presidential race, with the main contenders laying down as much as $100 million (more than Sh8 billion) each.

Expenses for candidates include nomination fees paid to the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission for clearance to run, logistical costs and advertisements. Governor aspirants will be required to pay Sh100,000, and those for senate and MP Sh75,000. County Assembly aspirants on the other hand will have to deposit Sh10,000.