By The Weekly Vision
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) plans to sell properties of politicians who lost in petitions to recover over Sh400 million awarded by the courts through auctioneers. IEBC was awarded Ksh 403 million in costs by various courts arising from unsuccessful petitions filed challenging the outcome of the 2013 and 2017 elections, documents tabled before the Public Accounts Committee reveal.
According to the document, a total of 139 politicians who vied for the positions of governor, senator, and MP owed the electoral commission millions of shillings. The monies owed include Ksh 99 million awarded to the IEBC by the High Court following petitions filed after the 2013 election, another Ksh 32 million awarded to the IEBC by the lower courts about the 2017 poll, and Ksh 4.3 million from the lower courts for the 2013 election.
The amount, flagged by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, is to be recovered from the Ksh 1 million in security deposits paid in court by the petitioners challenging the election results declared by the IEBC for various electoral positions.
The commission told the committee that they turned to auctioneers following a go-ahead from the Office of the Attorney-General. “The Attorney General has since allowed us to recover the money from the cash deposited as security by the petitioners,” said Marjan. The auctioneers will be paid a percentage of the amount they collect, “which is about 1.5 percent.”
Topping the list of the politicians who owe the commission is former Provincial Commissioner Hassan Noor Hassan, who owes the commission Ksh 5 million over a petition challenging former Mandera Governor, now Senator Ali Roba. Others are former MP Walter Nyambati (Ksh 5 million) and former Embu gubernatorial aspirant Leny Kivuti, who owes the commission Ksh 4.5 million after unsuccessfully challenging the election of Martin Wambora.
Others are Farah Maalim (Ksh 3 million), who contested the victory of the current Environment Cabinet secretary Adan Duale in the Garissa Township seat. Also on the list is current Migori governor Ochillo Ayacko, who was slapped with Ksh 3.7 million in costs after losing to former governor Okoth Obado. Josephat Nanok, Elizabeth Ongoro (Ksh 1.5 million), late Jakoyo Midiwo (Ksh 1.5 million), former Likoni MP late Masudi Mwahima (Ksh 1 million), among others.
Other politicians have settled their debts with the IEBC; they include former Kilome MP John Harun Mwau Ksh 2.23 million, former Gatundu North MP Clement Waibara Ksh 333,333, Arthur Kibira Ksh 300,000, and politician Mugambi Imanyara Ksh 250,000, former Cabinet Secretary John Munyes Ksh 250,000, Grace Akumu Ksh 250,000, and Pauline Lokuruka Ksh 250,000 each for the two cases she unsuccessfully filed against the commission, Hamzah Kevogo Ksh 250,000, Robinson Simiyu Ksh 250,000, and Charles Kamuren Ksh 250,000.
