Chebukati downplays NASA dissent on boundaries review

Kilifi North RO Guliya Abidwahid,IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and Malindi RO Masha Sudi at the Malindi Airport on March 7, 2018. /ALPHONCE GARI
Kilifi North RO Guliya Abidwahid,IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and Malindi RO Masha Sudi at the Malindi Airport on March 7, 2018. /ALPHONCE GARI

IEBC is yet to receive any official communication from the National Super Alliance (NASA) regarding their opposition to the planned boundaries review.

Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Wednesday said the commission will respond to the coalition on the issue once there is an official communication.

NASA says IEBC is not fit to conduct the boundaries review which will follow after the 2019 national Census results are published.

The Opposition is of the view that the electoral body cannot be trusted with the exercise following their 'skewed' management of the August 2017 vote.

Chebukati said he has only read about NASA's take on the newspapers adding that the Constitution mandates IEBC to manage elections and review boundaries.

"It is a job which must be done after eight to 12 years. After last year's elections, there will be a review," he said.

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Chebukati said NASA, just like the other 67 political parties in the country; civil societies and the Kenyan people are free to express their views on the planned review.

On the Auditor General report that revealed the electoral body inflated figures on tenders, he said the matter rests with the CEO who is the accounting officer.

Edward Ouko’s 2015-2016 report revealed that IEBC illegally altered and varied a contract amount from Sh31.7 million quoted by the same vendor in 2012 to Sh93.3 million per year.

Further, the report revealed that taxpayers lost Sh26.6 million in the purchase of goods categorised by IEBC as specialised materials for use in mass voter registration and by-elections in Malindi, Kericho, and Nyangores.

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