Treasury says March 4 General Election cost Sh32bn

Siaya governor Cornell Rasanga lost his case through a petition. Photo/William Oeri. 

By George Omondi

In Summary

• Treasury secretary Henry Rotich says in a report released on Thursday that the actual cost of the election stretched beyond the budgeted ceilings as agencies took measures to improve security and encourage mass participation in the democratic process.
• “Most of the election-related expenditures catered for direct activities but there was also marginal expenditure for indirect and related expenses,” said Mr Rotich.
• The report is expected to reignite debate on the cost of the March polls that was marred by logistical and technical glitches

The March 4 General Election cost the taxpayer a whopping Sh32.1 billion, overshooting the original budget by Sh3.5 billion, the Treasury said.

Treasury secretary Henry Rotich says in a report released on Thursday that the actual cost of the election stretched beyond the budgeted ceilings as agencies took measures to improve security and encourage mass participation in the democratic process.

This was by far the most expensive poll since Independence, involving several layers of government.

Security, registration and inauguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta are some of the items that breached their limits, the Treasury’s Post-Election Economic and fiscal report 2013 shows.

“Most of the election-related expenditures catered for direct activities but there was also marginal expenditure for indirect and related expenses,” said Mr Rotich.

The report is expected to reignite debate on the cost of the March polls that was marred by logistical and technical glitches – now under anti-corruption and parliamentary investigations.

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It reveals that foreign governments bankrolled the election to the tune of Sh3.2 billion. So far, focus has mainly been on the Sh25.2 billion allocated to IEBC in 2012/3 - including Sh6.7 billion for procurement of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) Machines – as the direct costs borne by taxpayer.

Out of the electoral expenditure, the IEBC alone spent a total of Sh30.9 billion, exceeding its approved expenditure level for the polls by a total of Sh4.045 billion.

Mr Kenyatta’s inauguration cost the taxpayer Sh204.2 million or Sh25.2 million more than Sh178.97 million allocated to the cabinet office for the purpose.

Mr Rotich says cases resulting from boundary review and general election expenses pushed up IEBC’s legal fees to Sh754 million.

The electoral agency also spent Sh249 million to comply with the provisions of the new constitution, Sh820 million on transportation and Sh393 million on security, the  report says.

Other notable expenditure items related to the March election are listed as Sh876 million for training, Sh469 million for publicity, Sh189 million for by-elections and Sh235 million on “simulation” and materials.

Apart from the specific amount allocated to IEBC for security registration and polling stations, equipment and personnel, the provincial administration spent additional Sh800 million on polls-related activities like campaigns, nomination of candidates by political parties and other disturbances.

Treasury says a total of Sh1.995 billion was spent on election-related security to ensure that citizens were “not compromised as they exercised their constitutional rights.”