Lawmakers have pressed several state agencies over delays in acting on Parliament’s resolutions, questioning accountability and the handling of past audit findings.

The National Assembly’s Committee on Implementation, chaired by Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala on Friday, summoned top officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Office of the Attorney General to explain the slow pace of implementation.

The IEBC, led by CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan, was first to face the committee. Lawmakers sought answers over procurement irregularities flagged in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending June 30, 2017.

The report found that some commissioners had conflicts of interest in the procurement of KIEMS kits, voting for their preferred suppliers during a special plenary meeting in March 2017.

It also cited poor planning by the secretariat, which forced the commission into direct procurement of critical goods and services in violation of Article 227(1) of the Constitution.

The House had previously recommended that implicated commissioners, the CEO, and directors leave office to allow reforms and restore public confidence.

Defending the process, Marjan maintained that the procurement was “fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective” and pledged cooperation with investigators.

“The Commission appreciates that the above recommendation is outward bound and that action is required of relevant investigative agencies. We commit to cooperating with relevant investigative agencies that may institute the suggested investigations. The Commission is law-abiding,” he told the MPs.

But when the DCI was questioned on the matter, Director Amin Mohammed told the committee that files relating to the case could not be traced and might never have been opened since being handed to a former Director of Investigations. He asked for three months to locate them, sparking sharp criticism from lawmakers.

Kajiado Central MP Elijah Memusi asked, “Is there a trail of who handles the missing files, and to what extent is the officer able to take accountability?”

Wanjala also voiced concern, saying, “DCI take long to act on House report recommendations and doesn’t get back to Members only to appear and ask for more time. So, what will prevent new Commissioners from doing the same thing if DCI has not acted?”

Amin explained that the 2019 case involved both local and international companies and would require more time to conclude.

The committee also flagged issues in the IEBC’s 2021 audit, which showed that 210 motor vehicle logbooks were still registered under the defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) and that the commission’s fixed asset register was outdated, resulting in distorted financial records.

The Office of the Attorney General requested a month to prepare a detailed report on recovery measures, including those relating to imprest and car loans from former commissioners.

EACC representative George Ojowi reported that the agency had secured the conviction of former IEBC chairperson Humphrey Oswago and five others over an irregular Electronic Voter Identification Device (EVID) tender in the 2012/2013 financial year.

NTSA and NEMA were questioned over inclusivity in their recruitment processes, with the committee directing both to broaden the scope of job advertisements to reach more ethnic groups.

The hearings will continue on Saturday, August 9, with Rivatex and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) scheduled to appear before the committee