Nominated Member of Parliament Isaac Mwaura on Tuesday divulged that he spent a sum of Sh29 Million to fund his campaign for the Ruiru parliamentary seat.
The same was revealed by Nairobi Women Representative aspirant Esther Passaris who claimed that she had splashed Sh10 Million in her campaigns.
These are examples of some of the countless politicians who have spent large sums of money to contest in what has been termed the most expensive nomination exercise witnessed in Kenya in recent times.
Read More: Isaac Mwaura Loses Sh29 Million
With most of the politicians ready to spend to ensure they are elected, the business fraternity has been a major beneficiary of the money splashed by aspirants.
Here are some of the industries that gained majorly from the political exercise:-
Print Media
Some politician incurred a cost of up to Sh5 Million in printing t-shirts, banners, posters, business cards, calendars and stickers as they distributed them to supporters popularise their bids.
"We printed about 3,000 T-shirts for an aspiring senator in Kitui and 10 large banners. Each T-shirt went for Sh250 while each banner costs Sh12,500, The cost ranges between Sh10 and Sh30 per poster depending on size," explained Juma Otieno, a printer on Kirinyaga Road.
This is one of the sectors that benefited greatly and might still earn millions as the campaigns continue to intensify.
Helicopter/Car/Roadshow Trucks Hire
Hiring and branding of the campaign vehicles cost some politicians up to Sh60,000 while helicopters hired to ferry the politicians cost between Sh170,000 and Sh200,000 per hour.
Most of the business people in this industry were lucky to benefit from the willingness by politicians to splash a few millions as affirmed by those in the sector.
"Politicians from Nyanza hired the choppers for about five hours a day. Those from around Turkana for six hours while aspirants from Nairobi and its environs hired the choppers for about three hours," disclosed Allan Kivuti of Geo Air hiring company.
Event Organizers
This industry was also a major beneficiary of the campaigns as politicians paid up to Sh2 Million for flamboyant displays during party launches and political rallies.
Hospitality
Local pubs, eateries and hotels are also set to continue to host party supporters and high-profile politicians who visit the establishments as campaigns continue to heighten with the election day fast approaching.
Public Relations/Social Media Management
New trends in political circles have necessitated the enlisting of professional services to run campaigns.
Former journalist Cynthia Nyamai, whose PR firm ran President Uhuru Kenyatta's campaign in 2013 reported making between Sh250,000 and Sh3 Million from every event the firm handled.
The charges exclude the retainer fees and other charges incurred for managing the brand itself.
