IEBC threatens to boycott 2017 polls over money

IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has threatened to boycott handling the next polls unless the institution is properly funded.

According to the electoral body, the Government must set aside adequate funds for the next General Election, if Kenya is to undertake a credible, transparent and fair electoral process.

Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba disclosed that following the commission’s audit of its performance in the March 4, 2013 elections, which resulted in about in about 200 election petitions, including the disputed presidential results, the major contributor was insufficient funding.

“Managing elections is a continuous process. In the last polls, IEBC incurred debts carrying out activities not funded. Already, we have requested Sh2 billion to conduct voter registration and the National Treasury has only allocated Sh500 million, this is unacceptable. We don’t like this at all at the commission,” said Mr Chiloba.

He continued: “We are targeting to register around 4.4 million by next year February and another 4 million before the polls, how will this agenda be realized with enough funds. We now have to plead with development partners to complement.”

“We have requested for Sh30 billion, the Government should give us enough funds, such is the minimum we can take. We might be forced to boycott the exercise if the deviation is more than ten per cent. Credible elections have a lot to offer for a country, including political stability,” Chiloba warned.

He stated that the Sh15 billion sought for the operation is for a three-year period.

“Elections are an expensive affair and as IEBC, which depends 95 per cent on government funding, we must just get enough.”

He added, “We want the election petitions reduced in 2017. We believe with proper management of the polls, majority of the contestants will be satisfied with the outcome.”

Chiloba, commissioners Mohammed Alawi, Yusuf Nzibo and Muthoni Wangai, revealed that the commission is working on a detailed election plan, dubbed the Road Map to 2017, which will be unveiled early next month.

They challenged the political class and Government institutions charged with the mandate of considering and reviewing draft laws, to do so.

“Legal reforms are mandatory to give effect to various sections of the election laws that the commission relies on to make informed decisions. For instance, political parties coming up with their constitutions, which address party hopping, electoral disputes and poaching of members by the competition,” noted the CEO.

Chiloba, nevertheless, emphasised that for IEBC to do a professional and international job by delivering a credible election, it must be adequately resourced.