A new report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has revealed that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC) accrued KSh 4 billion on legal fees in the 2022 General Election. Githu Muigai was IEBC’s lead counsel in the 2022 presidential election petition. Photo: Zakheem Rajan. Source: Twitter The electoral body settled KSh 2.3 billion in the year ended June 2023, leaving a pending bill of KSh 1.92 billion. How much was IEBC lead counsel paid? Gathungu disclosed that IEBC paid KSh 502.3 million to 28 law firms that represented it in the presidential election petition at the Supreme Court. The lead counsel and assistant received a huge windfall of KSh 158.96 million, but the auditor did not mention their names. “Included in the use of goods and services amount is KSh 502,280,000 incurred on the 2022 presidential petition. However, instruction letters to support an expenditure totalling KSh 158,960,000 paid to the lead counsel and assistant counsel were not provided for audit review,” Gathungu stated. Gathungu noted that the amount spent on legal fees was higher than the budgeted amount by KSh 44.64 million. In the previous year, IEBC spent KSh 713.8 million on legal dues but failed to provide supporting documents. Who represented IEBC in 2022? IEBC picked former attorney general Githu Muigai to lead its legal team in the 2022 presidential election petition. Githu led a team of more than 10 experienced lawyers in the presidential election petition filed by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga. Among them were Kamau Karori, Abdikadir Mohamed, Eric Gumbo, Wambua Kilonzo, Peter Wanyama, George Murugu, Mahat Somane, Cyprian Wekesa and Edwin Mukele.
by Japhet Ruto