Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has declared that a Sh2 billion referendum is impractical.
IEBC Commissioner Boya Molu on Friday said ODM leader Raila Odinga’s suggestion is impossible as the activity will require at least Sh10 billion.
Speaking during the commemoration of the international day of democracy hosted by Centre of Multiparty Democracy Kenya, Mr Molu said he could not give a definite figure but going by the monies spent during the repeat election in 2017, more than Sh2 billion will be needed.
“I may not be able to give you exact figure but going by the last presidential repeat elections, a referendum will not cost less than Sh10 billion,” Molu said.
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“On election day you hire not less than 50,000 vehicles and you cannot get a vehicle for less than Sh10,000. We also have to hire 350,000 poll officials on election day.”
He added that factoring in money needed for transport and food for the presiding officers and their deputies, clerks and at least two police officers for every polling station will mean more money.
“You must transport all of them and feed them for some days,” he said.
Speaking during the swearing-in of ODM’s new National Elections Board and Disciplinary Committee members in August, Raila dismissed claims that a plebiscite on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) constitutional review process would cost more than Sh2 billion.
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“A referendum does not need to cost more than Sh2 billion, so we should not be told, we have no money, there is no money to do, we can teach Chebukati how to do it so we have everything needed for a country to do a referendum, we will do it before the next General election,” he said.
“It is not the desire for anyone to make it any more difficult and costly than it is, a referendum doesn’t have to cost billions.”
The referendum, the former premier said, should be held before August 2022.
Earlier, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said the commission would need at least Sh12 billion for the exercise.
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