MPs want Chebukati team out, charged over loss of billions at IEBC

Officials at the electoral body should be sent packing over alleged loss of billions of shillings, Parliament has said.

The lawmakers want Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati, former CEO Ezra Chiloba and Commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu investigated and charged.

The recommendations are contained in a special report by the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, which was tabled in the House yesterday.

The report’s focus was on the commission’s expenditure in the last General Election.

Also to be held responsible for the loss of taxpayers’ money are former IEBC vice-chair Consolata Maina, commissioners Margaret Mwachanya and Paul Kurgat, as well as acting chief officer Marjan Hussein, Praxedes Tororey (director, legal services) and James Muhati (director, ICT).

If the report is approved, it may mark the beginning of a dramatic rejection of the remaining commissioners and top officers at IEBC's secretariat.

The country spent more than Sh70 billion in the August 8, 2017 General Election and repeat presidential election, the highest in the region.

Mr Chebukati is in a spot for awarding contracts worth millions of shillings to a law firm associated with him to represent the commission in various poll petitions.

“The chairman of the commission, in serious violation of Chapter Six of the Constitution, presided over allocation of legal work to his former law firm without disclosing this relationship or even cautioning the Secretariat,” says the strongly-worded report tabled by Public Accounts Committee chairman Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja).

Chebukati, Chiloba and the other commissioners have also been criticised over the awarding of a controversial Sh6.6 billion Kenya Integrated Election Management System tender.