House team to quiz Githu on election delay concerns

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Attorney General Githu Muigai. Photo/FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By ISAAC ONGIRI iongiri@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Thursday, September 20  2012 at  22:30

IN SUMMARY

• August 1: IEBC chair announces plans to drop automation of voter register
• August 4: Cabinet urges IEBC to procure biometric voter registration kits
• August 5: Kenya and Canada agree on a Sh4.6 billion loan to buy BVR kits.
• August 10: Government increases loan request to Sh6 billion.
• September 6: Safran Morpho a French firm is fined in Paris over graft.
• September 15: Voter listing fails to start due to BVR kits procurement delay

MPs have asked Attorney-General Githu Muigai to explain the legal issues slowing down the preparations for the coming General Election.

The move came as a group of Kenyan traders were said to be planning to move to court to block a French Company from supplying voter registration materials, citing the violation of procurement regulations and integrity issues.

City-based information technologist Sheilesh Patel on Thursday told the Nation, he would be moving to court to seek judicial intervention “to salvage the integrity of the Kenyan elections”.

“The handling of the process broke a number of our procurement laws; the independence of the electoral commission given by our Constitution has been compromised and there are teething legal issues to crack about this matter. That is why we are moving to court,” said Dr Patel.

On Friday, Prof Muigai, ministers Eugene Wamalwa (Justice) and Njeru Githae (Finance) are expected to meet the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee to give details on the procurement of the voter registration kits.

“We want the AG and the entire Cabinet team handling this matter to give details because we can see a crisis beginning to set in,” Mr Abdikadir Mohammed the committee chairman said.

The increment of a concessional loan that Kenya is getting from Canada for the acquisition of the biometric voter registration kits said to have been expanded to Sh6 billion ($72,000,000) has also raised eyebrows.

The electoral commission had budgeted for Sh3.6 billion for the purchase of Sh9,700 kits.