Opposition Leader Raila Odinga's Presidential Bid Threatened Over Campaign Funds

Opposition leader Raila Odinga's presidential bid is under a serious threat after it emerged that some of the National Super Alliance (NASA) legislators were unhappy with high campaign fund targets set for them.

During the opposition parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday last week, it was announced that all elected lawmakers and governors were to contribute towards Mr Odinga's campaigns.

Members of Parliament were further needed to pay party agents deployed in their constituencies during the October 17 elections.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Chairman John Mbadi noted that there was a general consensus among MPs to contribute “something” to the campaign kitty.

"There was no acrimony. MPs only differed on the amount to contribute. Some wanted to give Sh250,000, others proposed Sh200,000 while some first-time lawmakers were willing to give Sh300,000.

"At the end of the meeting, there was an agreement that first-time MPs would give Sh200,000 while others would contribute Sh500,000. There was a lot of enthusiasm towards it,” Mbadi stated. 

Reports from the Nation indicate that some new legislators were not pleased with the requirement to contribute Sh200,000 and had expressed serious concerns on the matter.

Key among the legislators' concerns is accountability in use of the campaign funds where they have questioned how money raised for the August polls was utilised.

Mbadi, however, dismissed the claims that there was discord in the party over campaign funding stating that the only concern raised by MPs was a change in monthly subscriptions.

“The second time MPs asked to be exempted from remitting the monthly fee to the party for a year after paying Sh500,000 but we told them it could not happen," he explained.

If the MPs boycott and refuse to contribute the set funds, Mr Odinga's campaign could be threatened as he and his partners will not be able to marshal all resources required to run a presidential campaign.