The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission drama unfolds with the latests finding shows its former CEO Ezra Chiloba is accountable for the loss of millions of shillings at the agency.
The commissioners who appeared before a parliamentary committee blamed Chiloba for the lose.
The details of his role in the loss of funds during last year’s General Election and the repeat presidential election emerged during the Public Accounts Committee grilling session, where the poll body’s acting CEO Marjan Hussein said Chiloba solely authorized the purchase of Kenya Integrated Election Management Systems kit which amounted to an average of Sh6 billion.
Hussein who was accompanied by commissioner Boya Molu told members of the Opiyo Wandayi led committee that Chiloba went on to authorize the direct procurement of the kits despite the objection of other members of the secretariat.
“Chiloba was the accounting officer at the time and as I recall he ignored advise from other members of the secretariat regarding procuring of services and goods needed to make the election a success,” said Hussein.
Following Tuesday’s probe by the lawmakers it was unanimously agreed that Chiloba should appear before the committee as a witness to respond to the weighty issues levelled against him.
“It is very important that Chiloba appears before us so that he can shed light on the issues raised by his former colleagues. From wherever he is listening or watching he can appear before us as earlier as Wednesday morning before we formally invite him,” said Wandayi.
Hussein and his team were accused of appearing before the committee with insufficient evidence to back some of the payments made to the suppliers.
In particular was the payment of vouchers amounting to Sh436 million it paid to various lawyers representing them in various court cases.
“We have been given a list of lawyers who were paid yet there are no vouchers to prove the same, what we are being given cannot be trusted hence as a committee we should demand for documents which have been properly authored,” said Otiende Amollo MP for Rarieda.
Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said without evidence to support the millions of payments made, the committee would conclude that monies were looted.
“The public whose money was used by IEBC must be convinced with evidence that their money was used well,” he said.
The electoral body’s Chairman Wafula Chebukati who was a no show in Tuesday’s session was asked to appear without fail on Wednesday morning to help shed light on the weighty issues that the commission is grappling with.
“Chebukati must appear before us in our next meeting to elaborate on the audit queries raised,” said Wandayi.
The National Assembly committee will resume its sittings Wednesday to continue probing the loss of Sh9 billion as captured in the Auditor General 2016/2017 financial report.