Elective Seats Don’t Come Cheap! – The Cost of Politics in Kenya

By  Prof Karuti Kanyinga & Tom Mboya,

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 23- A recent study  on the Cost of Politics in Kenya has analysed the expenditure of individuals who contested political office at Senate, National Assembly and County Assembly level in Kenya in 2017.

Drawing on data from a survey of over 300 candidates (successful & unsuccessful) as well as focus group discussions and key informant interviews with political participants and experts, this study uncovers the costs for aspirants at different stages of the political process; beginning with the party primary, through the general election and, for those who were successful, their time whilst in office.

The study reveals the Senate seat as the most expensive of all the posts to contest. It cost an average of Sh35.5 million to contest this seat in 2017.

Contestants for the Woman Representative seats also spent significant sums, with an average expenditure of Sh22.8 million.

For those seeking to become members of the National Assembly, the average spend was Sh18.2 million, while the Member of County Assembly seat was the least expensive at Sh3.1 million.

These costs are predominantly raised from individual’s personal savings or with the support of friends or family. Less than 20% of survey respondents received financial support directly from their political party.
 
This survey found that, on the whole, the more a candidate spends, the greater their chances of electoral success. Women’s Rep candidates who won their race spent almost three times as much as those who were unsuccessful.

Victorious Senators spent more than double those who lost. In the race for National Assembly seats, successful candidates spent 50% more than those who did not win. Importantly, in addition to significant expenditure, the choice of political party also matters! The support of a dominant party enhances a candidates chances of success 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 levels of success for reasons best explained by prevailing patriarchal norms that impact on how they can campaign and how they are perceived by voters.
 
For those successfully elected the costs do not stop once elected to office. On average, elected members of the National Assembly spend as much as Sh780,000 a month; primarily on development projects for constituents and donations to local interest groups. This is more than their basic monthly salary before allowances and benefits.

A similar trend of monthly expenditure matching or being greater than basic salary income was reported across all four positions studied.

Does this mean the pursuit of elective office is a zero-sum game? Far from it! An analysis of average salaries and emoluments for legislators over the 5-year term reveals that against an average cost of Sh35.5 million to secure the election, a Senator is likely to earn Sh68.4 million; where it costs a Women’s Rep an average of Sh22.8 million to get elected, she is likely to earn a similar figure of Sh68.4 million; while Members of the National Assembly may enjoy the best return on investment in that they spend an average of Sh18.2 million, while also earning a figure of roughly Sh68.4 million over the 5-year term.

Therefore, provided one is able to raise the resources to successfully contest an election, the financial rewards are handsome! It is worth bearing in mind that these figures only account for salaries and basic emoluments, and not any other ‘opportunities’ that may arise from being in elective office.
 
There are several key drivers and enablers of these costs. First and foremost, running for office in Kenya takes place in the absence of the enforcement of the law and regulations on campaign financing.

Second the benefits that come with being an elected official are immense and extend beyond the salaries and benefits. The position grants the individual the title of Mheshimiwa – a title that opens doors into Kenya’s wider patronage structures.
 
Some of those interviewed for this study were of the view that many people do not run for office to serve the community; they run for office because when you win, numerous benefits and networks for easy self-enrichment accrue.

However, voters also drive the cost of politics with constant demands for hand-outs from MPs. This stems partly from a limited understanding of the role elected officials should play; one of oversight and policy formulation, not one of direct service provision.
 
What does all this tell us?
 
The implications of the huge outlay made by many aspirants for political office across Kenya are well documented in this study, and affect both our democracy and political culture.

One implication is simply that the high cost of politics excludes numerous capable candidates without access to sizeable resources. Women and youth, though politically engaged, are disproportionately disadvantaged in this regard.
 
Many of those who are elected to office use their seat as a source of patronage in national level networks, which are heavily involved in perpetuating corruption in the public sector.

This is evidenced by the fact that legislators rarely convene meetings to discuss legislative matters that the constituents would like presented in Parliament or through the County Assembly. In short, politics has become increasingly transactional and as a result, the campaign cycle never ends.

No sooner than a candidate has been elected, they must begin right away with efforts to reward voters so as to ensure their continued support for the next electoral cycle.
 
Another implication of the importance attached to money in politics is that elected officials regularly fail to provide effective oversight of the use of resources by the Executive at the national and county level.

This, in many cases, would be an exercise in futility given that some intend to target access to those resources for personal or political gain.
 
To address these issues and reduce the costs associated with seeking political office in Kenya the report provides a set of recommendations.

They include the need to improve the transparency and quality of party primaries; restructuring of the Political Parties Fund to enable a broader range of parties to benefit from the fund thus facilitating their growth; the introduction of enforceable regulations for monitoring campaign finance expenditure as set out in the Campaign Finance Act 2014 that are complied with by all political parties; the need for greater support to be afforded to female candidates contesting for open seats and how that can be done; and the important role that continuous civic education can play in improving voters expectations and awareness of the roles of elected officials, as well as the negative consequences of the increasing prominence of money in politics. 
 
 Prof Karuti Kanyinga is based at the University of Nairobi while Tom Mboya is a Governance Consultant.