UNDP rejects IEBC's request to fund October repeat polls
IEBC will now be forced to change its plan.
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This new turn comes even as Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chief executive officer Ezra Chiloba said that the proposal to bring on board the UNDP to finance the cost of ballot papers was still at the discussion stage.
The UNDP earlier, through its website, said that it was concerned with Kenya’s preparedness for the August 8 elections which have since been annulled by the Supreme Court.
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The UN said that its role in the elections included communications, warehousing and logistics, Procurement and Institutional Capacity Building.
It adds that the “four areas were identified in the post-2013 election evaluation as some of the weakest links in IEBC performance during those elections.”
The UN also endeavored to support Kenya in amending the laws to amend laws on elections, political parties, election campaign financing, two-third gender rule and build capacity for efficient use of ICT in elections.
The new announcement by the UNDP comes in the backdrop of a vehement rejection by both Jubilee and Nasa presidential candidates to involve the UN in the Kenyan presidential repeat elections.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale criticised the proposal, arguing that it was against the law on the management of public money and asked the Treasury to throw out the proposal.
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“Kenya is not a banana republic. The only places where the UN can conduct elections are Haiti and Liberia,” Mr Duale told the National Assembly sitting.
Citing the Public Finance Management Act, Mr Duale added: "Any election conducted with proceeds from the UN is illegal. This is just because he wants to satisfy the ego of someone who is power-hungry.”
On Tuesday during a press conference, Nasa presidential candidate Raila Odinga argued that Kenya has enough money to run the repeat elections slated for next month.
Already the Cabinet chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta earlier last week approved a budget of over Sh 10 billion for the repeat polls.
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