IEBC ‘hiding’ poll kits tender papers

The electoral commission is blocking investigations into the controversial procurement of the biometric voter registration kits.

Top officials of three government agencies told the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that the electoral body had refused to submit documents to their respective investigators.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Public Procurement Oversight Authority and the Auditor General have complained to MPs that when they tried to get documents from the electoral commission, they were taken round in circles.

“It has been very difficult to get documents from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. At one time we had to summon the chief executive of the IEBC. There has been reluctance by the commission to furnish us with original documents,” said Mr Michael Mubea, the deputy CEO at the Ethics commission.

The EACC deputy secretary said his investigators wrote to the electoral commission seeking original documents, but, he was instead given “very clear photocopies”, and therefore, they had to go back and push the IEBC to give the original documents.

The chairman of the PAC, Mr Ababu Namwamba, sought to know if the IEBC had falsified the documents that were presented to the ethics commission, but Mr Mubea said the ethics commission “only works with original documents”.

The Auditor General, Dr Edward Ouko, said the IEBC had also failed to provide documents. He said the IEBC told the auditors that the documents are with the EACC and PPOA. But Mr Maurice Juma, the Director General of PPOA said the electoral body was reluctant to provide key files to help in investigations.

“When we carry out an audit, we usually estimate that it should not take more than three weeks. But this one has taken more than two months,” said Mr Juma. They urged the committee to put pressure on the IEBC to release the documents.