IEBC says Chiloba procured Sh6bn kit tender alone

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission CEO Ezra Chiloba speaks during a past media briefing. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Acting CEO Marjan Hussein says the decision to go for direct procurement was not approved by the plenary and that Mr Chiloba made the decision on his own.
  • IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati to appear before it on Wednesday to explain what he knows about the events surrounding the purchase of the KIEMS kit.

Former electoral agency chief executive Ezra Chiloba single-handedly procured the Sh6 billion voter identification and results transmission kits of the 2017 elections, MPs heard Tuesday.

The Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits were used for both the August general elections and the repeat presidential elections.

DECISION

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) acting CEO Marjan Hussein told the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee that the decision to go for direct procurement was not approved by the plenary and that Mr Chiloba made the decision on his own.

“The procurement was discussed in the plenary but the meeting did not approve of direct procurement,” Mr Hussein said and explained that in the plenary, the commissioners only approved the procurement plan at IEBC but all the details were handled by the former CEO.

PROCESS

The committee chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi directed IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati to appear before it on Wednesday to explain what he knows about the events surrounding the purchase of the KIEMS kit.

“It is so directed that the chairman himself Mr Wafula Chebukati must in person appear before this committee without fail,” Mr Wandayi said.

The MPs also wants Mr Chiloba to voluntarily appear before them any day and explain his role on the procurement process.

TIMELINES

“We can allow the former CEO to come to our meetings on his own volition before we formally invite him for a fair hearing,” Mr Wandayi said.

Mr Hussein, however, said the procurement of the kits was urgent so as to meet legal timelines in the Election Laws and amendments to the Elections (General Regulation) and Elections (Technology) Regulations 2017 which were enacted on March, 2017.

“These laws and regulations required the commission to acquire and implement the technology in 120 days before the August, 2017 General Election,” Mr Marjan said.

VOUCHERS

Mr Marjan accompanied by commissioner Boya Molu, acting director of Legal Affairs Chrispine Owiye, ICT director James Muhati and other IEBC officials found themselves on the spot after failing to provide vouchers of pending bills amounting to Sh2 billion.

In addition, the commission also failed to provide payment vouchers for Sh436 million it paid to various lawyers representing them in several court cases and for Sh16.4 million that United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) gave to the commission for payment of registration officers.