Rotich offers cash for IEBC chiefs

What you need to know:

  • Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich said the IEBC bosses will be paid directly from the emergency account known as the Contingency Fund.
  • The Contingency Fund is usually allocated Sh5 billion and the commissioners have said Sh200 million would be enough to pay for the time left in their contracts as well as gratuity.
  • Cord coalition is expected to present its case for the removal of the commissioners when it appears before the committee on Thursday.

The National Treasury has funds to pay the electoral commissioners if they voluntarily resign.

Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich said on Wednesday the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission bosses will be paid directly from the emergency account known as the Contingency Fund.

“We do have contingency funds for that kind of unforeseen expenditure,” said Mr Rotich, opening a window for a solution to the IEBC stalemate. “This for me is unforeseen if it does occur.”

The Contingency Fund is usually allocated Sh5 billion and the commissioners have said Sh200 million would be enough to pay for the time left in their contracts as well as gratuity.

The CS had been asked by members of the joint select committee of Parliament on IEBC reforms, after making his presentation, to state how much would be due to the commissioners in terms of gratuity and severance pay if they leave office right now. He said he would give more details in a written memorandum to the committee.

The select committee, co-chaired by Senators Kiraitu Murungi (Meru) and James Orengo (Siaya), is investigating the IEBC with a view to sending them home. One of the key issues has been payment of the commissioners should they choose to resign.

Meanwhile, the Cord coalition is expected to present its case for the removal of the commissioners when it appears before the committee on Thursday.

A team led by lawyers Norman Magaya and Paul Mwangi is expected to demand the removal of all the IEBC commissioners as an “irreducible minimum”.

They will also push for the reduction of commissioners from the current nine to a maximum of five, said Mr Magaya, who is also the executive director at the Cord Secretariat.

A statement from Cord leader Raila Odinga’s spokesman Dennis Onyango said it would give a detailed position on its desired electoral law changes.

“The team will present Cord’s case against IEBC and a detailed position on electoral reforms,” said the statement. “Cord was the mastermind of the push to have discussions on reform of the IEBC, which led to the current bi-partisan talks.”

At County Hall, where the committee is sitting, Mr Rotich said the IEBC was allocated Sh14 billion this financial year for the 2017 General Election, which the Treasury deems sufficient.

IMPLEMENTED REFORMS

The CS said from his view of IEBC’s work it had implemented reforms — especially in its planning for procurement — to prevent the sort of issues that resulted in it overshooting its budget in the 2013 elections.

“Unlike previously, I saw a very detailed election management plan,” said Mr Rotich. “I have not seen any complaints this financial year.

“What we have given them is what they need. I think this time round I saw a very elaborate plan.”

Mr Rotich said that with nine directorates, 17 departments, 17 regional election coordinators and 290 Constituency Election Coordinators, the IEBC has a bloated staff and a huge wage bill.

The minister asked the committee to consider having the number of commissioners reduced and working part-time.

The committee was, for the second time this week, angry with the Office of the Auditor-General for the failure of its head Edward Ouko to show up and that of the officers he sent to provide adequate information.