'Wasteful' priorities: MPs reject IEBC's Sh64 billion budget

Chairperson of IEBC Dr Erastus Ethekon during the swearing-in of the commission at Supreme Court on July 11, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

The National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) has rejected a Sh63 billion budget proposal by IEBC for the 2027 general elections based on what they termed as wasteful and misplaced priorities by the commission.

According to the Budget Policy Statement for the 2026/2027 financial year tabled before Parliament, the Erastus Ethekon team had requested for an additional Sh22 billion in funding of which a substantive allocation was to go towards the purchase of new KIEMS kits at Sh6.2 billion and upgrading of existing ones at ShSh3.8 billion, continuous voter registration at Sh6.9 billion, the purchase of election materials including ballot papers and logistics at Sh2 billion and the construction of a Sh1.5 billion Uchaguzi centre among others.