IEBC faces Sh3.8 billion pending bills as it prepares for 2027 General Election

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is facing growing concerns over its financial preparedness for the 2027 General Election due to Sh3.8 billion in pending bills.

Of this amount, Sh2.65 billion is owed in legal fees, while Sh298 million covers election logistics. Parliament has directed the commission to submit primary documents supporting these claims before any additional funding can be approved.

Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Chair Gitonga Murugara told the Budget and Appropriation Committee that IEBC’s budget proposal for the 2025/2026 financial year stands at Sh9.6 billion.

This includes Sh788 million set aside for pending by-elections, Sh5.12 billion for election activities, and Sh3.7 billion for the commission’s normal operations.

The pending bills, however, pose a serious challenge to smooth election preparations.

“My committee, cognizant of its oversight mandate, has also directed the commission to submit primary documents in support of the pending bills, especially on the legal bills for consideration and scrutiny to ascertain whether the Auditor General should undertake a special audit,” Murugara said.

This step aims to ensure full accountability before further funds are released. Apart from the financial backlog, IEBC plans to register about 6.3 million new voters ahead of the 2027 General Election, adding to the current 22.1 million voters already on the register.

To support the election, the commission requires 59,352 election kits, 55,393 for polling stations and 3,959 for training.

Out of these, 45,352 kits purchased in 2017 will be replaced, while 14,000 kits bought in 2022 will be reused.

The replacement of kits is necessary due to high costs incurred during the last elections, including expenses related to transmitting election results, court rulings that forced the reprinting of ballot papers, foreign exchange losses, and emergency airlifting of election materials and staff.

The committee also raised concerns about the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, which has appealed for an additional Sh6.98 billion.

This includes Sh256.69 million for 2027 election preparations, Sh530.09 million for office programs, and Sh6.19 billion for the Political Parties Fund.

Murugara warned that failure to bridge the funding gap could affect the office’s critical activities ahead of the elections.

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