We’ve no money for boundaries review, says IEBC
The election processes could be thrown into disarray after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared that it is facing serious financial constraints that have stalled most of its functions.
The electoral agency, for instance, has no funding to facilitate the mass voter registration and boundaries delimitation.
The Commission is pleading with Parliament to reinstate Sh340 million for Boundaries delimitation taken by away through the Supplementary Budget last financial year.
Commission acting deputy CEO Obadiah Keitany appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs said that no money has been set aside for the impeding referendum.
“We have no money to run the boundaries delimitation and mass voter registration. That is the situation we are in,” pleaded Keitany.
Keitany told the committee when presenting the commission budget, that the electoral body has no adequate budgetary provision to cater for all the pending bills.
“The National Treasury requires that the Commission make payments for all pending bills as first charge. Unfortunately, the commission is incapable of paying a cent,” Keitany said.
The commission is requesting for Sh3.9 billion in the 2020/21 Financial Year to cater for pending payments to suppliers of goods and services including legal fees.
Despite the Commission requiring Sh7.6 billion for mass voter registration, the National Treasury has allocated Sh1 billion only for the continuous voter registration.
The commission appropriated Sh6.4 billion this financial year but has been allocated Sh4.4 billion, which is normal recurrent annual allocation.
According to Keitany, boundaries delimitation which was set to kick off next month will have to be called off since no funds are available.
“The delimitation exercise will have to wait may be to the next financial year if you avail to necessary funding,” said Keitany.
While the commission is also seeking Sh2.4 billion for the construction of the Uchaguzi Centre, Treasury allocated a meager Sh200 million. They have delayed the project start, the commission is requesting parliament to allocate Sh1 billion for the centre.
Members also raised concerns on how the electoral agency was running without a full commission and top management offices being held in acting capacities.
“We have a very unstable commission. How can we all top managers including the Chief Executive in acting capacity?” posed Anthony Kiai (Mukurweini).
Keitany, however, defended the agency saying the current team was capable of running a seamless election and referendum. Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati announced last month that reviewing of constituency boundaries would start next month.
In the exercise, the electoral body will to decide on the fate of the 26 constituencies that did not meet the population criteria during the last review in 2012.
The 26 constituencies include Othaya, Ndaragwa, Tetu, Mukurweini, Kangema and Mathioya in Mount Kenya region. In the Coast region, those that did not meet the quota are Lamu East, Lamu West, Mvita, Mwatate, Wundanyi, Voi, Bura and Galole.
Others are Samburu East, Marakwet East, Keiyo North, Mogotio in the Rift Valley and Vihiga and Budalang’i in Western as well as Laisamis, Isiolo South, Kilome, North Horr, Saku, and Mbeere North in eastern.
Even though they had not met the population criteria, the Andrew Ligale commission of 2012 allowed the existence of the constituencies on the understanding that they would be reviewed in the subsequent delimitation of boundaries.
