The report reveals that out of 45 political outfits, three, Jubilee Party, Pamoja Alliance, and KADU-Asili, were not audited at all. Their crime? Either failing to submit financial statements or handing them in far too late. Together, they had received Sh80.6 million, funds that now remain outside the scope of accountability.
The Auditor General points to a pattern of financial mismanagement that cuts across party lines. Among the issues flagged were:
- Inaccuracies in financial reporting.
- Missing documentation to back the expenditure.
- Weak internal controls.
- Rampant non-compliance with regulatory standards.
- Poor governance and little evidence of value-for-money.
By law, political parties must establish branch offices in at least 24 counties. Yet, the report shows that 37 parties flouted this requirement. Some could only point to a handful of offices; others failed to provide leases, staff lists, or activity reports to prove their existence.
Ironically, even the dominant outfits fell short:
- UDA (President William Ruto’s party): 21 offices.
- Wiper (Kalonzo Musyoka): 14 offices.
- Narc Kenya/PLP (Martha Karua): 3 offices.
- NARC (Charity Ngilu): 2 offices.
- PNU (Gideon Moi): 2 offices.
- Others, including Chama Cha Kazi, DAP-K, and TSP, had fewer than 10 each.
The lion’s share of the scandal rests with Kanu, once Kenya’s most powerful political machine. The party reported Sh10.1 billion in financial discrepancies, an astronomical figure dwarfing other culprits. It also posted unsupported balances of Sh212.7 million, including undocumented loans of Sh175.4 million.
The report also lists irregularities in other parties:
- Wiper – Sh35.6 million in inaccuracies; Sh14 million in unsupported balances.
- Narc Kenya – Sh1.2 million in errors; Sh27.4 million in unsupported balances.
- PNU – Sh3.5 million in discrepancies.
- Chama Cha Kazi – Sh4.1 million in variances.
Several smaller parties – millions lost in unsupported debts and undocumented contributions.
Six parties were flagged for unsupported expenditure totalling Sh22.4 million, largely in allowances and programme costs. Kanu again topped the list with Sh15.7 million in unverified spending.
The Auditor General’s conclusion is damning: “These substantial amounts undermine the reliability of financial information and raise concerns about transparency, accountability, and governance in the use of public funds by political parties.” In plain terms, taxpayers’ money is being funnelled into political entities that cannot explain how it is spent, nor comply with the most basic financial regulations.
With billions vanishing into thin air, Kenyans are left asking: if political parties cannot account for their own finances, how can they be trusted to govern the nation responsibly?
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