The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) received a massive financial boost from Treasury on Thursday that will help the agency prepare and superintend the August General elections without major operational hitches.
While reading the budget statement for the financial year 2022/2023, Treasury CS Ukur Yattani announced an allocation of Ksh 21.7 billion to the Wafula Chebukati-led commission that is aimed at facilitating a smooth electoral process.
The allocation was an addition to the Ksh 22.9 Billion handed to IEBC in the Financial Year 2021/22. Thursday’s pronouncement means that the monies availed by the National Treasury to IEBC for the purpose of conducting the eagerly-awaited poll have now topped Ksh. 44.6 Billion.
In August last year, IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati announced that the electoral commission needed at least Ksh. 40 Billion in order to carry out credible polls.
Specifically, Chebukati had indicated that the commission was not in a healthy financial position to oversee a Presidential election re-run if the main poll in August failed to produce a clear winner.
