Auditor: Airtel should refund Sh500k to poll body

Politics and policy

Auditor-General Edward Ouko at a past function. PHOTO | FILE 

By DAVID HERBLING

In Summary

• The review found Airtel billed IEBC Sh480,516 and was paid on February 25 last year, but rendered no services.

Auditor General Edward Ouko has ordered Airtel Kenya to refund about Sh0.5 million to Kenya’s electoral agency for failing to supply goods and services bought for use in the 2013 General Election.

A forensic audit carried out by the Auditor General’s office shows that Airtel was last year single sourced to supply connectivity services at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) headquarters at Anniversary Towers and at the national tallying centre at Bomas of Kenya.

The review found that, even though Airtel Kenya billed IEBC Sh480,516 and payment was made on February 25 last year, no services were rendered.

“There is no evidence that delivery was made for this payment,” Mr Ouko said in findings of a special audit seen by Business Daily.

“The money should be refunded to IEBC by Airtel Ltd.”

The review followed a request from the Clerk of the National Assembly in June last year, asking Mr Ouko to audit IEBC’s procurement of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits and other materials used in the March poll.

The study was made on the basis that the kits and other infrastructure failed during the elections, leading to a waste of taxpayers’ funds.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How the United Kingdom unearthed Kenya’s ‘Chickengate’ scandal.

The Auditor General’s report shows that IEBC bought 5,951 mobile phones, modems, SIM cards, projectors and internet connectivity services from Safaricom, Airtel and Nairobi Projectors at a total cost of Sh34.7 million.

Mr Ouko said modems, SIM cards and Access Point Name (APN) services that were to be used in the transmission of data to national, county and constituency tallying centers, all amounting to Sh3.2 million, were also procured directly from Safaricom and Airtel Ltd.

The deal also included the purchase of an Electronic Results Transmission system (ERTS) from Nairobi Projectors Ltd.

“The items were received and inspected on February 27,” the report says.

Mr Ouko says the 5,951 mobile phones purchased from Safaricom Ltd were bought at a cost of Sh17.8 million through direct procurement.

Procurement woes at IEBC have seen former executives at the body sacked and charged in court over abuse of office in relation to tendering decisions. Those arraigned include former chief executive James Oswago, Wilson Shollei (deputy CEO), Edward Kenga Karisa (director of finance and procurement) and Willy Kamanga, the procurement boss.

Revelations of bribery in relation to printing of ballot papers have also emerged from a trial in a London court involving officials of Smith & Ouzman.