Orengo challenges IEBC over poll funds

What you need to know:

  • According to Mr Orengo, the commission failed to conduct the elections in the most transparent way and the Biometric Voter Registration kits they procured were faulty, the reason why the government needs to audit whether the money was used in the right way.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has been challenged to account for funds from Treasury used for the March 4 elections.

Siaya Senator James Orengo said the electoral body was given Sh11 billion to conduct the elections using the required technology and that it was now time they accounted for how it was used to the last cent.

According to Mr Orengo, the commission failed to conduct the elections in the most transparent way and the Biometric Voter Registration kits they procured were faulty, the reason why the government needs to audit whether the money was used in the right way.

“Sh11 billion is a lot of money that not even one county will receive for its development but IEBC was given that yet they still conducted questionable elections,” he said.

The former Lands Minister also called for an overhaul of the Isaac Hassan-led commission saying the team should not be allowed to conduct the next election.

“If the next election is to be free and fair, IEBC must be restructured and completely revamped. We can’t allow them to make the same mistakes again,” he said.

Mr Orengo, who was speaking in St Andrews Bondo Catholic parish, urged the worshippers to maintain their faith in former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

He said Mr Odinga is and will still be strong in politics and has not given up on championing for the rights and democracy of Kenyans.

“Yes politics is over and we now have to engage in development issues but we cannot completely kill politics, there are issues we have to constantly keep in check and talk about,” he said.

The former Ugenya Member of Parliament also took issue with how the Supreme Court handled the petition by Coalition for Reforms and Democracy challenging the election of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

According to him, the courts are not always right about their judgements and therefore the Supreme Court has to accept that it made a mistake by failing to administer substantial justice in the petition.

He claimed that the court misled Kenyans that the case was being heard but judgement had been predetermined even before the hearing of the case commenced.

“The constitution was changed to ensure any court of law administers substantial justice but it’s like we are going back to the dark days when Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and retired President Kibaki failed to get justice in the courts. The Mutunga-led court has to accept they made serious mistakes,” he said.