Jubilee is not broke – MP Aden Duale

National Assembly Majority Leader, Aden Duale, has dismissed reports that Jubilee’s demands to have its party nominations funded by the taxpayer are a reflection of financial turbulence in the party.

Duale said that it is within the Constitution for political parties to be funded by the taxpayer since parties are not private entities but people-owned.

“Historically, and even in this electioneering period, Kenyans will go through two elections (party nominations and General Election). Calls to have Jubilee nominations conducted by IEBC and funded by the taxpayers are in accordance to the law,” he said in a presser on Wednesday, November 16.

Asked whether the current stand is a contradiction of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s previous pronouncement that they would look for money to ensure IEBC conducts free and fair nominations, Duale said that the party leader was speaking with the national Treasury in mind.

“When President Uhuru Kenyatta said we will look for money to carry out the nominations, he was speaking as the Head of the Executive. He, therefore, meant that we will look for money within our budgetary estimates to fund the nomination process,” stated Duale.

The Garissa Township MP noted that the need to have the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) handle party nominations is to avert cases of corruption and favouritism that have bedeviled past nominations, with some escalating into violence.

“Democracy is expensive and must be funded by the taxpayers, according to the Constitution, and this is evident in all democracies. This is because political parties are not private entities but people-owned.”

“We want Jubilee nominations to be free and fair to ensure those picked to face their opponents in the elections are a reflection of the will of the people.”

He said that any other party that wishes to have IEBC handle its nominations should follow suit since it is a Constitutional provision.

ODM has in the past insisted that they will handle their own nominations, rejecting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s proposal to have all nominations handled by IEBC.

The party leader, Raila Odinga, said that the proposal to have IEBC handle the nominations amounts to micromanaging political parties.