If the Election Laws Amendment Bill sails through in parliament, aspirants seeking to vie for the elective post will have their funds controlled by IEBC.
Addressing journalists on Thursday at a press conference on the status of preparedness for the general election, the commission chairperson, Issack Hassan expressed confidence that the campaign finance bill will be passed by parliament.
“The post-mortem of the last election revealed certain logistical and legal challenges to the smooth administration of the election. The commission with support from various stakeholders and partners has spearheaded the Election Laws Amendment Bill, which is now in the 2nd reading stage in the National Assembly. We have also drafted regulations for the Elections Campaign Finance Act, which will soon be presented to National Assembly,” said Hassan.
IEBC has maintained that formulation of Election Campaign Financing Regulations is in line with provisions of Article 88(4) (i) of the Constitution of Kenya.
According to IEBC, the law lets them set the amount of money that may be spent by a candidate or party in respect to any election. Also, the law will oblige IEBC to set out limits of media coverage for candidates and parties including paid up adverts and free broadcasting spots.
At the same time, Hassan assured Kenyans that the commission will keep the country informed every month on the progress of the preparation for the next election.