Piece by: LINDWE DANFLOW

29 March 2023

• Sifuna said the ODM party gets its funds from the members through the annual membership fee which he pays Sh5000 at the beginning of every year.

• The Nairobi Senator said that even if there was no money for the rallies, Kenyans would still demonstrate because the state of the nation is dire.

Edwin Sifuna the ODM secretary general has refuted claims that Former President Uhuru Kenyatta funds the Azimio antigovernmental rallies.

In an interview with the media on Wednesday, Sifuna said he had never seen Uhuru fund the rallies.

"Anyone who is telling you Uhuru is funding the rallies, I have not seen that money," he said.

Sifuna said the ODM party gets its funds from the members through the annual membership fee which he pays Sh5000 at the beginning of every year.

"I am a contributor through my salary at the PSC, it is deducted and goes straight to the party," Sifuna said.

The Nairobi Senator said that even if there was no money for the rallies, Kenyans would still demonstrate because the state of the nation is dire.

He said there are three sources of money for political parties.

Sifuna spoke of the political parties fund. Though he said currently, the fund is being stifled.

He said the party also gets funds through donations and subscriptions by members.

"As an ODM life member, I pay Sh5,000 every year towards my political party," Sifuna said.

He said that every month ODM elected MPs pay Sh20,000 which is usually deducted from their salaries.

"Every single month as an elected Member of Parliament, I pay Sh20,000 to the party. I am only one MP and we are almost 100. Every one of us is deducted from our salaries. Then each MCA, we have almost 500 elected in our party, "he said.

Sifuna said they also get donations from members of the public.

The city senator said resources are usually not used during or before the rallies, but the need for resources comes after the rallies.

"The only time when we have to look for resources is after the rallies, you find 10 people have been arrested you need to pay cash bail for them. We do ad hoc Harambes. We call members of parliament, we tell them there is X number of people in police custody, we need X number of lawyers, and we need Sh 100,000 for cash bail. We just fundraise there," he explained.

There have been claims from Kenya Kwanza leaders that Uhuru is the sole financier of the rallies.