The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has told Kenyans that it is ready to hold any referendum in case it occurs. The Commission’s chairperson Wafula Chebukati has said the budget is not an issue for the Commission as the government will have to make a supplementary budget to provide it (the Commission) with funds to run a referendum.
Currently, the country is staring at a possible referendum emanating from the Punguza Mizigo Bill or the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), “Right now we don’t have funds but in case there is a referendum then the government will make a supplementary budget and give us money to carry out the exercise.”
Speaking at IEBC offices in Busia town where he visited to check on the staff, Chebukati restrained himself from the contentious issue of the validity of the Punguza Mizigo signatures, but said as a Commission they followed the law while accepting them, “I don’t want to comment on the issue that is before the court but what I can say is that as a commission we followed the law and we leave the rest to the court.”
He praised Busia County for being among the top Counties that are leading in the registration of voters and urged Kenyans who have attained the age of eighteen years to register as voters, as he also sought help from the media to help sensitive members of the public over the same,
“We are having continuous voter registration and I have been briefed over the same and I must commend Busia County because it is doing very well. I ask those who are eighteen years and above to register now and not to wait for the last minute. I also want to request the media to help us in sensitizing members of the public on the importance of registering early as voters.”