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Kenya

IEBC chiefs to appear before parliamentarians

Vice-Chairperson Lilian Mahiri-Zaja who had led a team from the secretariat to the meeting explained that Hassan and commissioners Alawi and Letangule were not available, because they were out of the country on official business but promised that they will attend Tuesday's meeting/FILE

Vice-Chairperson Lilian Mahiri-Zaja who had led a team from the secretariat to the meeting explained that Hassan and commissioners Alawi and Letangule were not available, because they were out of the country on official business but promised that they will attend Tuesday’s meeting/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 17 – Commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission were expected to appear before Parliament’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Tuesday to shed light on a forensic audit report by the Public Accounts Committee implicating them in the procurement of failed electoral devices during the 2013 General Election.

The commissioners led by Chairman Issack Hassan, are also expected to explain IEBC’s budget for the 2017 polls and the status of the draft referendum bill.

The PAC report said that Hassan and his commissioners abdicated their oversight duty by collectively failing to ensure adherence to a procurement plan leading to the loss of Sh3.9 billion in the government-to-government procurement deal for the Biometric Voter Registration kits with Canada.

A meeting between the National Assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee and the IEBC adjourned prematurely last week, after MPs claimed some commissioners had boycotted the meeting.

READ: IEBC officials seek time to respond to PAC report

Vice-Chairperson Lilian Mahiri-Zaja who had led a team from the secretariat to the meeting explained that Hassan and commissioners Alawi and Letangule were not available because they were out of the country on official business, but promised that they will attend Tuesday’s meeting.

The committee has raised queries as to why the government secured a loan from Standard Chartered Bank for the purchase of the kits despite the Treasury having already allocated money for the same.

Also on the spot is commission Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba who has been accused of releasing Sh300 million in pending bills to suppliers yet such payments had been stopped pending scrutiny of all vouchers.

In a special forensic audit in 2014, Auditor General Edward Ouko accused former CEO James Oswago of mismanaging the BVR tender, leading to costlier government-to-government procurement.

Kenya bought 15,000 BVR kits using borrowed funds and at a price that was nearly double the initial budget.

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