Nairobi — Critical operations in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) now risk being halted due to an outstanding bill of Sh1.94 billion owed to election officials and service providers.
The commission's Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Obadiah Keittany told MPs that despite desperate attempts to request National Treasury to release the funds since August 4th, 2022 the disbursement has remained outstanding.
On August 4th, 2022, the poll agency wrote to Treasury requesting the release of an outstanding Sh 4.3B out of which Sh 1.94B was payment owed to suppliers and election officials.
"The commission wishes to bring to the attention of the committee that in case the outstanding exchequer is not funded within this financial year, the amounts may be reserved from the payment system and will therefore translate to pending bills," said Keittany.
"We are waiting for the exchequer to release so that we can pay. We are writing and calling to the Treasury to release the exchequer. Even today we have called them three times," he added.
He was responding to questions raised by Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga before the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee on delayed payments to polling officials who oversaw Bungoma Senatorial by-election.
This comes amidst the confession by the National Treasury that the government is currently broke due to a shortfall of revenue.
A situation has affected the funding of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as well as devolved units which are struggling to fund development projects and pay salaries to workers.
The poll commission urged MPs to intervene in the situation as the default in payments may attract interest in the form of litigation costs and interest that is not within their budget.
"Moreover, the commission will not have additional budget for the repayments and compensation in cases of delayed payments. The affected suppliers may withhold critical services due to delayed payments," Keittany said.
The cash crisis in the poll agency has been so dire in Bungoma County as the returning officers have failed to report to work over the delayed remittances of their dues.
Documents tabled before the George Murugara-led committee show that the electoral body owes the service providers and election officials the highest amount at Sh 263M in the county.
These are money owed for the August 9th elections and the by-election in the Bungoma Senatorial seat following the resignation of Moses Wetangula as the Senator after he was elected Speaker of the National Assembly.
Nairobi County comes in second with Sh 160M out of which Sh 113M is delayed payments to the service providers while Sh 46.7M is payment to the election officials.
Elgeyo Markwet County is owed Sh 157M with the huge pending bill being attributed to the senatorial by election which was conducted after Kipchumba Murkomen resigned as the county senator.
"Its not that we are sitting comfortable because these suppliers visit our offices every day. Infact in Bungoma, the returning officer are no longer going to the office because people are demanding their money and they have no answers," the IEBC Deputy CEO stated.
Kalasinga raised questions that the poll commission had deliberately failed to prioritize payment to Bungoma County when they have received payments from the National Treasury.
"My fear is that they couldn't be prioritizing this matter because they are people whose children are not going to school due to non-payment of those dues," he said.
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Due to the delayed release of the funds, IEBC is requesting the assistance of the lawmakers to compel the exchequer to remit the funds to avoid halting of critical operations and litigation costs due to contractual obligations.
"We therefore request for the intervention of the committee for the release of Ksh 4.3 Billion in order to pay the General and by election service providers across the country,"Keittany stated.
The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee is now seeking to invite the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndungu to shed light on the delay release of the Sh4.3B to the poll commission.
"We will do what we can including getting the CS to come and tell us at what time will this be prioritized because election is almost everything in the country. They need to be well planned and executed so that we don't have the disputes," Murugara stated.
