The fight for the control of Restore and Build Kenya (RBK) has offered a glimpse into the huge payouts by bigwigs to acquire a political party.
A group associated with Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi, which has reportedly acquired the party, accuses rivals of demanding Sh273 million to surrender RBK that will be rebranded to Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP).
According to papers filed at the Political Parties Dispute Resolution Tribunal, former RBK officials have demanded the amount as compensation for surrendering it.
Political parties usually make millions of shillings in nomination fees from presidential, governor, MP and ward representative hopefuls.
Mr Aloysius Okoth Mondoh and Mr Peter Gordon Ochieng Odeng contested the takeover of RBK at the tribunal but the bid to block the new leadership was rejected.
New Secretary General Mugambi Imanyara and former Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti, who is the chairman, were allowed to rebrand and rename the party.
The DEP is associated with politicians from Meru, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi counties. Mr Murungi has said he will defend his seat on a DEP ticket.
The DEP symbol is a bus, which was used by Mr Murungi’s Alliance Party of Kenya (APK). The APK was collapsed alongside 12 others to form Jubilee in 2016.
On Wednesday last week, the tribunal said the matter would proceed for hearing and directed the disputants to file responses by October 25.
In a sworn affidavit, Mr Imanyara says when the complainants filed the case at the tribunal on August 12, he requested Mr Murungi and Mr Kivuti to arbitrate the matter.
A meeting between Mr Mondoh and another individual whose identity Mr Imanyara says he does not know was held at Humphrey & Company LLP offices in Nairobi, where Mr Kivuti was also present.
“During the meeting, Mr Mondoh made many demands to the chairman and myself so as to withdraw the matter. Among the demands was that the chairman and I pay him approximately Sh273,383,373,” the documents say.
Mr Imanyara says the money was broken into legal fees of Sh706,000, the value of external investments which are not specified – one to be paid $317,578.20 (Sh34,933,602) and the other Sh237,527,840.70.
According to the affidavit, Mr Mondoh gave Mr Imanyara business cards and handwritten documents bearing the demands.
“I instructed a document examiner, Mr Emmanuel Kenga, to compare the handwriting on the cards and the July 27 letter written by the complainant to the Registrar of Political Parties,” he says in the papers.
In an October 6 report, Mr Kenga said after perusing the documents, he noted that they were in original form. He said they were clear, legible and suitable for comparison.
“There are similarities in handwriting, indicating they are from a common origin. The writing is similar and indistinguishable,” the report says.
Mr Imanyara says after he and his team refused to honour the demand, Mr Mondoh said he would ensure they do not get control of the party. He says the claimants are on an extortion mission.
“We are ready to explore all avenues to get justice. It costs a lot to register a party,” he said.
