Chebukati to appear before House team on Chiloba suspension row

The controversy over the suspension of electoral commission chief executive Ezra Chiloba is headed to the National Assembly after the Public Accounts Committee summoned commission chairman Wafula Chebukati to explain the audit queries that led to the suspension.

On Wednesday, PAC chairman Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja) said the fallout at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is a manifestation of plunder of public resources, adding that an explanation is needed.

“We may want to hear from the chairman, particularly if there are any audit issues concerning the matters we have been interrogating that have not been disclosed to us,” Mr Wandayi, who is out of the country on official duty, told the Nation on the phone.

The committee is expected to meet on Friday to decide on the date Mr Chebukati should appear before it.

COMPULSORY LEAVE
Four of the six IEBC members, led by Mr Chebukati, met last Friday and approved the resolution that Mr Chiloba proceeds on a three-month compulsory leave as the commission investigates internal audit queries raised after the August 2017 General Election.

Mr Chebukati has since defended the decision, saying it was the right thing to do.

“The commission’s plenary meeting received and discussed an audit report on some procurement matters,” he said.

The watchdog committee has also written to former IEBC chairman Isaack Hassan and former executive officer James Oswago to appear and explain why expenditure of public funds was marred by misuse.

Among the issues PAC wants explained — as documented in the report of Auditor-General Edward Ouko for the financial year 2014/15 — are irregular procurement of election materials, overpayment of legal fees and unsupported expenditures.

PRINTERS
Former deputy chief executive officer Betty Nyabuto and former head of legal department, Ms Praxedes Tororey, are also expected to appear before the committee.

Ms Nyabuto acted as the CEO after Mr Oswago’s contract ended towards the end of 2014.

For instance, the former IEBC officials are expected to explain how, despite budgeting for 337 printers at Sh654,000, only 290 printers were delivered at an inflated price of Sh760,000 for the 2013 elections.

“They should come and tell us whether there was value for money in the expenditure,” Mr Wandayi said.

ELECTION PETITION
Mr Chiloba appeared before the committee three weeks ago for a three-day interrogation.

He blamed Mr Hassan and his team — most likely prompting the committee to summon the ex-officials who were bundled out of office over their management of the 2013 poll.

The former officials are also on the spot over the payment of Sh40 million to lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi during the Supreme Court hearing of the 2013 presidential election petition.

Mr Abdullahi’s payment was higher than that of the commission’s lead counsel, Mr Aurelio Rebelo, who received Sh30 million in the 14-day period.

Mr Chiloba could not satisfactorily explain why the commission hired 68 lawyers and paid them Sh2.1 billion, way above the Sh1 billion that had been budgeted for.