Nairobi — The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is protesting the downward adjustment of its Political Parties Fund allocation by Sh867 million.

In a statement, the party's secretary general Edwin Sifuna stated that the move will threaten political parties' democracy.

Sifuna claimed in the first Supplementary Budget last year, government cut Sh590 million in the 2022/2023 financial year from the Political Parties Fund.

He said that this FY2023/2024 the government had cut a total of Sh867M saying in one year alone Political Parties have lost Sh1.4B.

"Meanwhile his office is receiving an additional sh5B this year alone to build a pavilion at statehouse for entertainment. Even when he waxes lyrical about democracy, he is intent on crippling operations of parties, most of them in the opposition," he asserted.

"The deductions of Political Fund for political parties will immensely be deprived the parties' resources to fund their programs and activities contained in their respective work plans for first, second and third quarters as deposited in your office."

He added the foregoing is in utter of political parties' legitimate expectation and in limitation of their rights under Political Parties Act and Constitution of Kenya 2010.

Sifuna stated that it is unjust and illegal to limit legitimate expectations by not adhering to the law and to reduce money pervasively without consulting or referencing political parties.

"The 10th Parliament had passed into law the Political Parties Act that establishes the Fund geared as the advancement of democracy and in particular promoting party representation in parliament for marginalized and disadvantaged groups, popularizing policies of political parties and managing administrative and staff expenses," he said.

He urged the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties to take appropriate action and make sure that their duty to defend political parties is not curtailed or compromised.

The Political Parties Act 2011 sets aside 0.3 per cent of the national government revenue to finance activities of political parties.