Kenya reforms run into cash hitch

• Some of the teams formed to bring about change have no money to operate

Some of the teams spearheading reforms are in danger of grinding to halt because they have no money.

Two of the five commissions were allocated money in the Budget. The other three will have to rely on a Sh2 billion reserve fund in the Budget for reforms.

There are five commissions: the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission; Interim Independent Electoral Commission; the Committee of Experts on Constitution Review; the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.

The electoral commission was allocated Sh1.2 billion and the boundaries commission Sh351 million.

A problem

The acting secretary of the IIEC, Mr Kennedy Kihara, said the commission had received half the amount and was “okay” with it. He said the money was enough to kickstart operations of the electoral body. The IIEC is getting ready for the August 27 Bomachoge and Shinyalu by-elections.

Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mutula Kilonzo on Sunday denied that money was a problem for any commission, though he did admit that there was a “hitch with disbursement”.

“I am aware that emoluments for the boundaries commission have an issue but the PS is sorting it out with Treasury. As far as I know the committee of experts and the IIEC have enough funds in the meantime,” said Mr Kilonzo.

He said he had not received communication from any of the commissions about lack of funds.

“There was a little delay by Treasury in releasing funds due to the procurement process. But I believe the money has now been disbursed,” said Mr Kilonzo.

But boundaries commission chairman Andrew Ligale yesterday said the Sh351 million was yet to be released and they did not think it would be enough.

“When we sat down as a commission, we drew up a budget of Sh1.3 billion for every financial year. It means we were allocated a quarter of what we expected,” said Mr Ligale.

The team can’t move without money, he said, adding that public hearings which were to start after the census may not be held. Three weeks ago, Mr Kilonzo had made an appeal to Treasury to release money to the various reform bodies.

The minister at the time said that the government was yet to release a cent of the Sh600 million set aside for the Committee of Experts.

He said that the experts had been operating on donor funds that constitute less than a quarter of their entire budget.

Thank donors

“I want to thank the donors for giving funds as they pledged since this committee has not received a single cent from the government. I am urging Treasury and other officials involved to act fast and give the committee the money it requires,” Mr Kilonzo said then about the committee.