Report accuses Kenya's electoral agency of being unfair referee, corrupt

Political activist Wafula Buke speaks on his cellphone PHOTO:COLLINS KWEYU/STANNDARD

Corruption and claims of political favouritism are the issues at the centre of the current push for reforms at the electoral agency, says report.

A report of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on procurement of election material and a petition by activist Wafula Buke capture the complaints against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The complaints came even as the commission yesterday insisted that it was ready for dialogue with those pushing for its disbandment.

"Those pushing for our removal should follow the Constitution. The commission is ready to engage the Opposition but in a civil and organised manner," said IEBC Chairman Issack Hassan.

Mr Hassan and his fellow commissioners are named in the PAC report for the loss of over Sh4 billion through fraudulent procurement of Biometric Voter Registers (BVR's) in the last election.

They are also named in the 'Chickengate' scandal in which some of the commissioners are said to have received kickbacks to award lucrative ballot papers printing contracts to a UK company, Smith and Ouzman.

The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has asked National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi for a joint sitting with the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee to inquire into the PAC report and other matters touching on IEBC.

It is at this meeting that various stakeholders will ventilate on the questions bedeviling the electoral body, and which will form the basis of a report to be presented to the National Assembly.

polls credibility

The PAC report indicted the commissioners for presiding over a questionable election and recommended that the National Assembly reviews the Elections Act 'to enhance the fidelity and credibility of the general elections and the people confidence in the entire electoral system'.

"In particular, the integrity of the voting process must be completely beyond reproach so as to make the outcome a true representative of the wishes of the people," reads the report indicting IEBC.

"The main issue I had raised in my petition is with regard to the procurement of the BVR kits and the whole integrity issue. Now that IEBC played with the election against a violent background confirmed the obvious that the electoral body was playing games with us. In my opinion, we are setting a very disappointing course because we have intransigent leaders who do not seem willing to listen," said Mr Buke yesterday.

The Opposition is also unhappy with Hassan for 'taking sides' during the 2013 election petition that was ruled in favour of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The coalition has never forgiven the IEBC chairman for referring to its presidential candidate as a 'perennial election loser who never accepts defeat' during the highly contested petition that propelled President Kenyatta to power.

"He did not just say it, it was in a sworn affidavit, so he cannot disown it. How can you have a chairman who is so careless in his remarks? How then do you expect us to participate in an election where the referee has already taken a stand?" asked ODM Chairman John Mbadi.

Hassan's calls for dialogue were echoed by Director of Public Communication in the Office of the President, Munyori Buku, who said that the President and his deputy have already given their positions on the matter.

"Just like the President and his deputy, we are ready to engage with those who have problems with the IEBC," he said.

Mr Buku could not, however, confirm if the President had received a letter from the Opposition leader Raila Odinga asking for round table talks on the IEBC issue. CORd said it had written the letter last week.

There is, however, a convergence of opinion within the Government and the Opposition that IEBC may have committed sins of omissions and commission that require further scrutiny.

"You will be surprised that some of us have problems with IEBC, which is an independent body and we are running the Executive," said National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale.