Running as an Aspirant in Kenya’s General Election.
Summary
A number of studies have been conducted on the cost of politics in Kenya. We look at and summarise these studies and shed light on the extreme cost of competitive politics in Kenya
High cost of running as an Asprirant in Kenya’s General Election.
Are you Running as an Aspirant in Kenya’s General Election?
A number of studies have examined the high cost of competitive politics in Kenya. There are no campaign funding or financing restrictions and candidates have a free hand. The Kenya General elections happen every 5 years and citizens elect a Member of County Assembly(MCA), Member of National Assembly (MNA), Women Representative, Member of the Senate, Governor, and President.
An interview of the 2017 Senator Aspirants revealed they spent Ksh35.5 million on average to win their seat. The survey also found out that the more a candidate spends the more their chances of electoral victory. For the senators who won, they spent more than double of those who lost.
The report released by Westminister Foundation of Democracy Limited (WFD) and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy on Friday, July 23, revealed that to run as an Aspirant for Member of Senate is the most expensive seat to vie for in Kenya. It details that each of the elected senators spent Ksh35.5 million on average in the whole 2017 campaign period before clinching a win. The survey found out that the more a candidate spends the more their chances of electoral victory. For the senators who won, they spent more than double of those who lost in the 2017 General elections. While for Woman Reps, they spent thrice times more than the unsuccessful ones.
Those who used dominant parties in regions where the party was popular increased their chances of winning and also reduced the amount of money spent.
Most of the political leaders according to the report were bankrolled by close allies, relatives and some used personal savings.
This survey also found that, on the whole, the more a candidate spends, the greater their chance of electoral victory.
- Woman Rep candidates who won their race spent almost three times as much as those who were unsuccessful.
- Victorious Senators spent more than double than those who lost.
- In the race for National Assembly seats, successful candidates spent 50% more than those who did not win.
- In addition to the significant expenditure, the support of a dominant party enhances a candidate’s chances significantly. However, this does not apply if you are a woman contesting an open seat. The data reveals that in most cases, women are spending as much or more than men, but they are not enjoying the same level of success for reasons best explained by prevailing patriarchal norms that impact how they can campaign and how they are perceived by voters.
The Studies we reviewed
- WFD’s Cost of Politics in Kenya, 2021 by Kariti Kanyingi and Tom Mboya and Sponsored by Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), namely, UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Drawing on data from a survey of 300 aspirants as well as focus group discussions and key informant interviews with prominent political participants and experts.
WFD's Cost of Politics in Kenya, 2021 by Kariti Kanyingi and Tom Mboya
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- The cost of Parliamentary Politics in Kenya, 2017 by Tom Mboya and Sponsored by Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)
The cost of Parliamentary Politics in Kenya, 2017
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