‘I spent 37 million on ODM Party in 2017’ -Kidero tells court

Orange Democratic Movement ODM Party allegedly gobbled a whopping sh 37 million from ex-Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero during 2017 campaigns. Details have emerged.

Further details show that Mr. Kidero spent a staggering sh 418 million on his campaigns in his effort to retain his seat as a city governor. He however lost to Mike Mbuvi Sonko.

The revelations came amid tax issues between Kidero and the Kenya Revenue Authority KRA which has since taken him to task over claims of tax evasion.

Standard Digital broke down the figures as per the documents filed in court which indicated that, further, the Nairobi ex –governor used sh 53 million to put up his campaign secretariat in Nairobi city.

Kidero also used sh 25 million to get nominated on ODM ticket, sh 75 million on Publicity jobs while PR material taking his sh 47 million with separate media houses.

He also explains through the court papers that he had to allocate his agents a whopping sh 55 million in reimbursements.

The politician also rented operations space for his beehive political activities at sh 7 million for 36 months while poll tracking and research ate his sh 8 million. He also splashed sh 20 million during his official gubernatorial launch.

Other costs included sh 25 million to help monitor polls on the D-day, sh 19 million to fuel his cars which also used the same amount in maintenance. Sh 6 million was spent on entertainment and sh 16 million as capital costs.

Mr. Kidero had, according to documents deposited in court, budgeted to spend a staggering sh 423 million but ended up spending sh 418 million leaving his pocket with only sh 4 million at the tail end of his unsuccessful campaigns which left Sonko with the victory.

The Taxman therefore argues that the money in question was taxable and Mr. Evans Kidero ought to have settled with them because he had the money before the campaigns.

“The tribunal erred in law and fact in finding that the funds in dispute were campaign funds and ignored the patterns of deposits of the money between the year 2011 and 2013. The tribunal erred in law and fact by ignoring the political campaign guidelines,” KRA argued.

The ODM member has to now prove beyond reasonable doubts that he was right by not submitting taxes on the mentioned millions.