•Ouko unearths Sh691.5 million spent on food for returning officers.
•Overpayment of Sh27.5 million to the national tallying centre.
Image: FILE
The electoral agency is on the spot over the irregular expenditure of Sh777 million during the 2017 polls.
Auditor General Edward Ouko flagged this in his report after a review of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission's accounts for the year ending June 30, 2018.
At the centre of the finding is the expenditure of Sh691.5 million on food for returning officers.
The contracts were handed out on predetermined rates issued from the commission headquarters in complete disregard of the law, Ouko says.
“In addition, in the absence of a competitive procurement process for the catering services, it could not be confirmed whether there was value for money in that expenditure.”
The report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday reprimands the commission following an overpayment of Sh27.5 million for the national tallying centre.
Ouko says Bomas of Kenya was paid in excess of the negotiated contract rates.
The payment of Sh70 million was inclusive of charges for security systems, accommodation for commissioners and projectors.
The auditor further queries unsupported expenditure of Sh36 million paid to Wanderjoy Party World Ltd – an events organiser - without documentation to show how the firm was contracted.
IEBC claimed they used a contract between the State Department of Interior and Wanderjoy.
“The commission did not, however, provide documentary evidence to prove the State Department of Interior had carried out the required procurement procedure before engaging the firm,” the report says.
Ouko further points out an unexplained Sh23 million paid to five media houses and radio stations for airing documentaries during the 2017 presidential election.
“Documentary evidence provided revealed that the negotiated cost would have been Sh11.2 million. No satisfactory explanation was provided for the extra payment of Sh11.8 million.”
The audit came even as the commission is yet to fully account for over Sh9 billion it spent in the 2017 general election.
The Public Accounts Committee, in its report on the matter, recommended that the commissioners be held accountable for the losses.
The lawmakers held that the commissioners failed to exercise oversight, while the secretariat demonstrated poor planning, which saw IEBC undertake direct procurement of critical goods and services.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)