Give us Sh44b to prepare for polls, says IEBC

IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will require Sh44.3 billion to conduct the 2017 General Election.

This is Sh7.8 billion above the Sh36.5 billion set aside for that purpose.

The commission yesterday lobbied the National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee to help it squeeze Sh7,807,305,045 from Treasury to help it make early preparations for the polls, and avoid a last minute rush for purchase of materials as happened in the last elections.

The electoral body also protested that the bulk of their allocations for the polls is factored in the 2017-2018 financial year, the election year. IEBC said this could compromise the outcome of the polls.

"A good election is as good as its planning. We are only 27 months to the next polls and we should not wait for six months to start preparations. We do not wish to be strained in a similar manner as happened in the last exercise," said IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba.

Mr Chiloba said the commission requires Sh925,195,172 in the 2015-2016 financial year for mass voter registration. He said they also require a similar amount in the 2016-2017 financial year for the same exercise with both sessions lasting 30 days each. IEBC expects to register 11 million more voters.

However, MPs questioned the prudence in conducting voter registration this year, saying the exercise may not achieve much considering most Kenyans only enlist when elections are near.

"We know the trend of Kenyans. We may commit all these funds this year but for as long as Kenyans know that we do not have any election any time soon they will not turn up to register. They will wait because they know there will be another exercise just before the elections," said Githunguri MP Njoroge Baiya.

The committee wondered how IEBC can be asking for such an amount yet the commission has not responded to an audit query raised by the Auditor General. The commission has failed to account for Sh4.6 billion allocated to them in the 2012-2013 financial year.

Committee chairman Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi) directed IEBC to get clearance from the Auditor General or a letter indicating how the audit query was being resolved.

"The Auditor General says that there may have been misappropriation, misallocation of funds or you are unable to explain the whereabouts of this money," said Chepkonga.