Allocation for repeat poll raised to Sh12bn

The electoral agency has been allocated Sh12 billion to conduct the repeat presidential election set for October 26, the supplementary estimates report tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday shows.

The amount is an increase from the Sh10 billion the National Treasury had allocated to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

READ: Cabinet approves budget for repeat election

KIEMS KITS
The new figure is however less by Sh1.8 billion what the commission had requested to conduct a free, fair and credible election.

A National Assembly ad hoc committee formed to process the supplementary estimates for the election and free secondary education from January next year, among other activities, allocated Sh2 billion to the IEBC for an upgrade of the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (Kiems).

The upgrade is the basis for the additional contractual obligations between the commission and the firm in the deal — OT-Morpho.

EXPENSES
The key components of the budget include the procurement of poll materials, election technology, advertising, transport, polling officials’ wages and allowances for two police officers at every polling station.

The police are also required to provide security for the transportation of election materials to and from the 40,883 polling stations.

While appearing before the committee that was chaired by Kipkelion East MP Joseph Limo, IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba said the commission had already signed a Sh2.4 billion deal with OT-Morpho to upgrade the 40,883 Kiems gadgets used in the August elections and the results transmission system.

SAFARICOM
The IEBC technology has three components — Kiems configuration, the staff to undertake the work and the results transmission system.

Network service providers Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom will require Sh1.2 billion for the transmission of results.