The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has differed with ODM leader Raila Odinga over the cost of a referendum saying the Sh2 billion suggested by the opposition chief is impractical.
IEBC Commissioner Boya Molu on Friday said it will cost not less than Sh10 billion to hold a plebiscite in the country.
Molu spoke during commemoration of the international day of democracy hosted by Centre of Multiparty Democracy Kenya.
“I may not be able to give you exact figure but going by the last presidential repeat elections, a referendum will not cost less than Sh10 billion,” Molu said.
He added:” On election day you hire not less than 50,000 vehicles and you cannot get a vehicle for less than Sh10,000. We also have to hire 350,000 poll officials on election day.”
The officials include Presiding Officers and their deputies, clerk’s, at least two police officers for every polling station.
“You must transport all of them and feed them for some days,” he said.
Raila during the recent swearing-in of ODM’s National Election Board and Disciplinary Committee members said the Building Bridges Initiative referendum should not cost more than Sh2 billion.
“A referendum does not need to cost more than Sh2 billion, so we should not be told, we have no money, there is no money to do, we can teach Chebukati how to do it so we have everything needed for a country to do a referendum, we will do it before the next General election,” he said.
“It is not the desire for anyone to make it any more difficult and costly than it is, a referendum doesn’t have to cost billions.”