Nairobi — Tough rules to create transparency on election expenditure are due to be imposed on political parties in the very near future.

The rules include a declaration of expenditure for each and every candidate supported by any party during an election right from the level of councilor up to the president.

The parties must submit to the Interim Independent Electoral Commission the name of each candidate, his or her membership number, national ID number, constituency or ward, the telephone number and address.

Political parties will be required to clearly state what expenditure was incurred during the election and for what purpose, according to declaration forms seen by the Star.

The Registrar will set a ceiling on the total expenditure allowable in an election but the figure has not yet been decided.

The records must also show the amount contributed by the member, the party or by any other players to cover the total stated election expenditure.

The expenditure regulations are among new rules developed by the Registrar of Political Parties and the IIEC.

The rules were developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, the office of the Auditor and Controller General, Transparency International, the Kenya Law Reform, the Institute of Education in Democracy and the National Democratic Institute.

The rules are in line with the Political Parties Act whose implementation falls under the Registrar Lucy Ndung’u who is in turn under the IIEC.

Before an election or by-election, parties will be provided with a Form PP18. entitled Declaration of Expenditure after Elections for each Candidate Supported by a Political Party.

To be included in the form is how much a candidate spent on marketing including advertisements on TV, radio, newspaper, and magazines as well as posters.

This expenditure must be itemised “even if such production is done outside the election period,” states the new rules which are about to be gazetted.

Parties will also have to submit details on fees paid to consultants or advertising agencies for services during the election as well as the costs of producing and distributing electoral materials addressed or mailed to particular persons or organisations.

Expenses incurred in conducting opinion polls and research will also have to be declared.

“This declaration must be lodged within 90 days after polling day in the election,” read the new rules.

The declaration must be signed by the candidate, the party’s secretary general and treasurer, and be witnessed by a commissioner of oaths or magistrate.

The forms must be submitted to the registrar’s office irrespective of whether the candidate won or lost.

Political parties, especially during 2007 elections, have been accused of using unorthodox means to raise funds and meet the huge expenditures associated with a general election.

The Parliamentary Task Force investigsating pyramid schemes alleged that some of the embaezzled billions were used to funds poilitcal parties in the 2007 elections.

Under the new rules, parties will be required to furnish the IIEC with a declaration of sources of its funds within three months of the close of the financial year.

The Form PP19 will required each party to state the amount it received from the Political Parties Fund, membership fees, other contributions by members and contributions in kind and donations from other players.

Each item must specify the name of the contributor, address, ID number, PIN number, the amount and the date rof the donatiuon.

“Any contribution exceeding Ksh5 million should be accompanied by written authorization by the Registrar,” states the new rules.

Parties will also be required to annually complete another declaration Form PP17 declaring their assets and liabilities including cash on hand, cash on deposit, bonds and stocks as well as fixed assets such as furniture and office equipment, land and buildings. Parties will also furnish the registrar with monies paid as wages, salaries or loans.

Once these new rules are implemented, the IIEC will need a huge archive to house the cartons of declarations filed by the political parties and their candidates at the level of councilor, MP and president.