NASA leader Raila Odinga at a past event. [PHOTO/the-star.co.ke]
NASA leader Raila Odinga spent millions of shillings paying bills in the run up to the botched August 8 general elections.
This includes Sh47 million plus expenses paid to a US consultancy firm.
Among the key mandates of the firm was the setting up of an elaborate parallel tallying centre, something that never happened.
According to the Star, the NASA leader signed a contract with the US-based campaign data managing firm Aristotle International Inc to have the job done.
However, officials of this company were to be deported by the Jubilee government a few days to the election.
The hunting down of Aristotle CEO John Aristotle Phillips (American citizen) and Andreas Katsouris (Canadian) is said to have taken a toll on Raila's plans for elaborate parallel tallying.
Also expelled from the country were t
wo Ghanaians Harry Mackinson and Jonathan Boye who left on August 4.
Their mandate had been expanded a month to the polls so as to tap tap into global pollsters in an agreement that cost NASA another Sh14 million.
This was exclusive business class airfare, accommodation bills, meals, communication and other expenses.
It is said that NASA parted with some Sh2.5 million before two Aristotle officials left Washington to Nairobi.
“In addition to fees, you are also responsible for travel expenses. We ask you to deposit $25,000 with us to defray these costs. We will provide a regular and a detailed accounting to you. Should we exhaust the deposit, we will request additional payment,” an email sent to NASA said.
NASA was then to spend Sh301,820,944 on media and advertising for the period of July and August.
In salaries, NASA technocrats and think-tank staffers were paid about Sh800,000 average monthly salary.
There was also money used for hiring choppers, with the cost of hiring one machine ranging between Sh130,500 and Sh174,000 per hour.
The NASA leaders used about three choppers on a campaign trail.