How Expensive Are Elections in Kenya?

Elections in Kenya have been reported to be very expensive. The two leading political parties have lined up deep pockets in preparation for the August 8 elections.

The politicians and their political parties are planning to invest a fortune of Information Technology (IT), hiring of foreign advisers, helicopters and high-end motor-vehicles.

The official campaigns have been planned to officially commence on 28th May, 2017.Experts have estimated that a presidential candidate requires Ksh. 5 billion or USD$50 million to conduct an extensive campaign. This money will be used in purchasing of campaign materials, event organizing, communications, human resources, operations, transport and research.

Currently, it costs $2,500 an hour to hire a helicopter for the campaign. This is a damn expensive affair. Those aspiring for governorship will require Ksh. 600 million to mount an election campaign.

An aspiring member of parliament will need Ksh. 15 million to run a campaign to join national assembly. This cost may vary depending on a number of factors such as population and size of the constituency under question.

NASA vs Jubilee Party

These two party have put in place resource mobilization team to raise the required funds for campaigns.

The National Super Alliance (NASA) resource mobilization team will be led by Jimmy Wanjigi. In Jubilee Party, leading Mount Kenya billionaires will led the resource mobilization campaign.

Other options

There are several options through which the political aspirants and political parties can raises the required resources. For instance, the former president Mwai Kibaki raised resources in 2012 through his 1-million per plate fund-raising dinner.

National Exchequer Funding

The national treasury will fund the campaigns of political parties as required by the Political Parties Act. The resources will lonely be received by political parties which were able to amass at least 3 percent of all votes cast during the previous general elections.

Previously, TNA received a total of $866,679 from the exchequer. This was followed closely by $848,239 received by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Finally, the defunct United Republic Party (URP) received $273,688.

Political parties need these funds in order to properly campaign.

The Jubilee Party is receiving technical expertise from SCL Elections from United Kingdom. This organization is providing advice on fundraising, research and budgeting and campaign strategy.

Rwanda censors social media ahead of elections

Ahead of national elections, Rwanda’s National Election Commission (NEC) has ruled that presidential candidates’ social media updates need to be pre-approved by the organisation before the candidates can post them online.

Candidates will have to submit their social media messages to seven election commissioners at least 48 hours before their publication. Social media posts include text, photographs and videos that candidates wish to publish on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram or on websites.

According to the electoral commission, this measure is aimed at preventing “declarations, words, acts that can lead the population to acts of insecurity that could divide the Rwandan population.”

The measure to regulate social media will take effect on 14 July ahead of the presidential elections set to take place on August 4. The opposition has criticised the move saying it will be used to block any criticism of President Paul Kagame who has been in charge of the country since 1994 and is running for a third term after changing the constitution to allow him to run again.

The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), a statutory regulator of media has also criticised the move.

IT NEWS