[Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chief executive officer Ezra Chiloba. The commission has added Sh3 billion for the October 26 polls.] (Photo/Thestar)
The cost of digital technology to be used in the Octoober 26 polls has shot up the total cost of the polls.
The cost of the repeat presidential election now stands at Sh13.8 billion, which will see the total figure the country has spent on elections this year rise to Sh60 billion.
The repeat election was ordered by the Supreme Court, after it was determined that there were illegalities and irregularities in the August 8 elections.
According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chief executive officer Ezra Chiloba, who spoke during a seating with the Special House Committee on the Supplementary Budget, said the extra Sh3 billion will be enough to see through a free election.
This additional figure is on top of another Sh10 billion that had already been set aside by the treasury to run the exercise.
The commission has indicated that the key components of the budget are procurement of election material, deployment of election technology, advertising, transport, polling officers’ wages and allowances for two police officers in every polling station.
“At the time the additional budget was negotiated with the National Treasury, the commission had not finalised its requirement of the ICT improvements partly because of the delays of the detailed Supreme Court decision,” Chiloba told the committee as quoted by the Nation.