Today, the Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights (JLAHRC) convened a meeting with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to address concerns raised by Senator David Wafula Wakoli regarding unpaid bills from the Senatorial by-elections in Bungoma County, held in December 2022. 

Chaired by Bomet Senator Wakili Hillary Sigei, the committee sought answers from the IEBC, led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Marjan Marjan, who had been invited to provide a response.

Senator Wakoli's statement requested comprehensive information on the allocation of resources, including funds and human resources, for the by-elections.

Additionally, he sought clarity on the timing of funds released by the IEBC. Most notably, the statement inquired about the reasons behind the significant delay in payments to service providers and poll officials, which amounted to a staggering Kshs 216,091,675 and Kshs 83,513,300, respectively.

In response to the committee's queries, Mr Marjan revealed that all pending bills related to the Bungoma by-election had been settled. Senator Wakoli acknowledged the receipt of the payment.

Mr Marjan further explained to the committee that the commission does not allocate specific funds for by-elections in advance. Instead, they make financial requests to the National Treasury on a need basis.

The committee delved into the details of the election expenses, which amounted to a total of Kshs 262,990,772. Among the notable expenditures were Kshs 83,462,700 allocated to wages, Kshs 47,585,500 for transportation, Kshs 43,133,300 for meals, Kshs 14,149,082 for security, and Kshs 10,476,000 for printing, not to mention other miscellaneous expenses.

Mr Marjan attributed the high costs to several factors. Firstly, he mentioned enhanced security features in the ballot papers and printing being done outside the country. Secondly, the constant advancements in technology demanded continuous updates to election equipment and processes. Lastly, the increasing population of voters necessitated the procurement of additional equipment and labour.

Joining Senator Sigei at the meeting were Senators Fatima Dullo and Okiya Omtatah.