'Wasteful' priorities: MPs reject IEBC's Sh64 billion budget

The National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) has rejected a Sh63 billion budget proposal by IEBC for the 2027 general elections based on what they termed as wasteful and misplaced priorities by the commission.

According to the Budget Policy Statement for the 2026/2027 financial year tabled before Parliament, the Erastus Ethekon team had requested for an additional Sh22 billion in funding of which a substantive allocation was to go towards the purchase of new KIEMS kits at Sh6.2 billion and upgrading of existing ones at ShSh3.8 billion, continuous voter registration at Sh6.9 billion, the purchase of election materials including ballot papers and logistics at Sh2 billion and the construction of a Sh1.5 billion Uchaguzi centre among others. 

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had requested an overall budget of Sh64 billion to conduct the general polls, but the National Treasury has capped its operational budget at Sh41 billion, hence the Sh22 billion shortfall. 

But appearing before the MP George Murugara-led JLAC committee, the Commissioners were, however, at pains to defend their multi-billion-shilling budget even as the House team poked holes into its proposed budget, further questioning the Commission's priorities ahead of the definitive 2027 polls. 

Key among the contentious issues raised was the planned disposal by IEBC of 45,000 “obsolete” KIEMS kits and upgrade of 14,000 new ones, the inexplicable surge of legal pending bills from Sh2.6 billion in the previous financial year to Sh5.6 billion in the current year, and the lack of sufficient budgetary allocation by the Commission towards the procurement of ballot papers. 

The committee was also shocked to learn that the cost of buying a single Kiems Kit would be Sh135,000, yet the cost of upgrading an already existing one was Sh175,000. 

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo sought to understand the criteria used by the electoral agency in declaring that the kits were obsolete, further questioning why MPs had not been furnished with a report on the same. 

He also questioned the variance in the purchase of new equipment versus that of upgrading existing ones. 

 “We can only conclude that the kits are obsolete based on an expert report. You are here asking us for money and already decided that the kits are obsolete, but on what basis?” posed Amollo.

 His concern was shared by other members of the committee. 

But in its defence, the Commission explained that the 45,000 kits had been purchased prior to the 2022 general elections and had been rendered obsolete due to the shift and advancement of technology over the years. 

“The other 14,000 kits were purchased in 2022, but have to be modified. Some licenses have to be sought because when we buy kits, they must all have the same technology,” said commissioner Anne Nderitu. 

She also held that the report writing on the obsolete kits was an ongoing process and the report would be tabled before the House team in 21 days. The committee was, however, not convinced and directed that the planned procurement of the kits be halted. 

“This committee directs that no procurement of the Kiems kits should proceed until this committee is furnished with the expert report detailing why the 45,000 kits are obsolete,” said Committee Vice Chairperson Mwingi Mutuse.

Mutuse, who was the acting Chairperson, also directed that IEBC provides a written explanation on why there was such a huge variance in the cost of upgrading the kits and that of buying in seven days. 

“The upgrading of the kits should also not be undertaken until the committee is satisfied with the findings,” he added. 

MP George Murugara, who was chairing the committee before surrendering the reins to Mutuse, had also criticized the IEBC for what he termed as the misallocation of resources, which effectively escalated the cost of the 2027 general elections. 

 “It is curious that you have allocated Sh2.6 billion for media campaigns and another Sh438 million for the purchase of motor vehicles, yet no amount was allocated for the purchase of ballot papers in the current 2025/2026 financial year and in the forthcoming 2026/2027 financial year,” stated Murugara. 

“We are going to have a high cost of elections, given the way you have allocated the funds in your proposal. Our aim here is to reduce the cost of elections. You should go back and relook at your proposal and see how to bring it down from the additional Sh22 billion,” he added.

Vice chair Mutuse and Kanduyi Mp John Makali also questioned the multi-billion allocation for media campaigns and an allocation of Sh60 million for the boundaries review exercise. 

“With an investment of Sh2.6 million, why can’t you do an investment that is similar to any media House to help with the media campaigns?” posed Mutuse. 

Makali sought to know why the commission needed a budgetary allocation for the boundaries review and delimitation exercise, yet IEBC had announced that it was unable to undertake the exercise before the 2027 elections.  

He also questioned the intended increase of polling stations from the current 46,000 to 55,293 by the next polls.

“I have a huge problem with this for the construction of a charity centre. You should first tell us what costs you are paying in rent,” remarked Makali. 

But in a rejoinder, IEBC Vice Chair Fahima Abdallah defended the purchase of motor vehicles at the expense of buying ballot papers. 

“When we came into office, we found the commission using very old vehicles, but we had to make the purchases so commissioners can move around even for the continuous voter registration exercise,” said Abdallah. 

“Without them, we would be unable to move the ballot papers, especially during the just concluded by-elections.” 

Commissioner Ndiritu, on her part, explained that the funds allocated for the boundaries exercise was to ensure that it took place in a phased approach. 

“There will be certain activities going on, such as data collection and GPS mapping, as well as stakeholder engagement, but the actual delimitation will be undertaken after the 2027 elections,” she submitted. 

And while insisting that the country was operating in a tight fiscal space, the committee directed that IEBC hive off a considerable amount of its proposed expenditure. 

“We are convinced that the cost of this election can come down. We request that you go to work and identify areas you can cut on expenditure,” stated Mutuse.