Duale faults IEBC over expensive elections

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has said that there is need to review the legal frameworks surrounding the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The Majority Leader also said that the cost of conducting elections in the country is too expensive, citing the amount as Ksh.54billion.

“The problem is that we discuss election and election infrastructure when it is close to the election date that has been our undoing,” he said.

He was speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) on Tuesday morning during the launch of the Post-Election Evaluation Report.

He also emphasised that due to the new political environment brought by the building bridges initiative that this year the country can soberly look into the electoral infrastructure.

Duale also added that the commission as well other stakeholders should ensure that all election infrastructure, legal frameworks and voter registration should be addressed as there is little election activity at this time.

According to him, the polls body lacks proper legal guidelines for the recruitment of IEBC commissioners as there is no law that guides the process.

He also addressed the chairperson of Parliament’s Legal affairs committee saying that they should come up with legislation and ensure it goes through public participation.

He further added that the National Assembly Parliamentary Accounts Committee were conducting a special audit on the 2017 elections and that any IEBC official found culpable must be ready to be held to account.

Duale added that parliament as well as other stakeholders should look at what is ailing the electoral commission.

“Let us put our energies as stakeholders and re look at what is ailing the election in our country”. he said

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said they had noted these concerns but added that his team needs funds to sustain its functions throughout the election cycle and not just a few months to exercise.