IEBC paid lawyer Ahmednasir Sh40 million in presidential petition

Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi. [GEORGE NJUNGE, STANDARD]

The electoral agency paid Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi Sh40 million in the 2013 presidential election petition, higher than what the commission paid its lead counsel.

This even as it emerged that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) paid 14 law firms a total of Sh380 million to handle the presidential case filed by Opposition leader Raila Odinga challenging President Uhuru Kenyatta’s first term win.

Lead counsel

Members of the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were on Monday told that IEBC lead lawyer, Aurelio Rebelo, was paid Sh30 million while other lawyers were paid as high as Sh25 million.

The watchdog committee chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi questioned whether there was a conspiracy between the commission and its advocates to defraud taxpayers.

The audit queries were raised Monday when IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba and commissioners Paul Kurgat and Margaret Mwachanya appeared before the parliamentary committee to explain why it paid lawyers Sh2.1 billion instead of Sh1 billion since 2013.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo said IEBC appeared to have been turned into a cash cow by a certain clique of lawyers.

“It appears to me that there was a conspiracy between IEBC and the advocates to make these huge amounts of payments. Why was Ahmednasir paid Sh40 million more than the lead counsel in the case?” Mr Amollo asked.

In defence, Mr Chiloba said the Sh40 million paid to the city lawyer was after negotiations, revealing that he had asked for more pay.

He further explained that there was “shortage” of good lawyers in Nairobi.