By Zachary Gathuku

As the country gears up for 2022 general elections the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) has set guidelines on campaign financing in line with the Election Campaign Financing Act 2013.

 In a statement, the commission chairman Wafula Chebukati says political parties and candidates contesting in the 2022 general elections have until June 9th 2022 to have established campaign financing accounts, establish campaign financing expenditure committees and the persons who will manage the accounts as per the act.

“The Act requires all Political Parties and Candidates contesting in the 2022 General Elections to at least 2 months before the General Elections open campaign financing accounts, establish campaign financing-expenditure committees and appoint authorized persons who will manage the campaign funds.”

The statement further says:

a) All Political Parties and Candidates contesting in the 2022 General Elections to establish Expenditure Committees comprising of persons nominated by the governing council of the political party or by the independent candidate as the case may be.

b) All Political Parties and Candidates contesting in the 2022 General Elections to submit names of persons authorized to manage their accounts being either the Candidate, Candidate’s Agent or Member of the Party Expenditure Committee.

c) All Authorized persons shall be required at registration to open campaign financing bank accounts where contributions by a candidate, political party or contributions received from a lawful source will be received and submit the details of the accounts to the Commission.

d) The Commission shall monitor and investigate all information relating to party nomination expenses and election campaign expenses of candidates and political parties. e) Expenditure Reports shall be submitted to the Commission, within twenty-one days of the political party nomination and within three months after elections.

The act was suspended in 2017 general elections after Orange Democratic Party ODM moved to court challenging the enactment of the act.