Polls team to monitor funds: law

Nairobi.The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) can now control the money used by politicians during campaigns following the signing of a new law by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The Election Campaign Financing Bill 2013 assented to by the President on Tuesday also effectively gives IEBC the powers to “supervise candidates, political parties and referendum committees in relation to campaign finances.”

The electoral body will also set spending limits and ensure compliance with the established caps. Candidates who exceed their spending limits will be fined KSh2 million or imprisoned for five years.

“The commission shall verify sources of contributions to a candidate, a political party or a referendum committee,” says the new Act.

The Act has also banned foreign funding for politicians and their parties only restricting non-Kenyans to only providing technical support.

The piece of legislation will for the first time see politicians account for their lavish spending during their campaign trails.

The body will also monitor and regulate expenses. But a candidate can also seek advice on how to use campaign money from the Commission.

MPs adopted the Bill last October paving the way for its signing. The Tenth Parliament failed to enact it for use in the last General Election despite a concerted push by various civil societies to do so.

Political parties and candidates will also be required to form expenditure committees that would be supervised by the electoral commission. They will also be required to furnish IEBC with a campaign financial report three months after elections.

Wildlife conservation bill.

The President also signed into law the Wildlife Conservation and Management Bill that will see the government pay KSh5 million to families of people killed by wild animals.

The new law directs the Cabinet Secretary in charge of wildlife to compensate the families of those killed and those who are injured.

People who suffer injuries will also be eligible for compensation ranging from KSh1 million to KSh2 million for people who may suffer permanent disabilities.

The law gives a wide range of monetary compensation for people who suffer attacks from wild animals.

Only injuries from attacks by elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, hyenas, crocodiles, cheetahs, buffalos, snakes, hippos, sharks, stone fish, whales, sting rays and wild dogs are eligible for compensation.

The law also proposes stiffer penalties for poachers. They will now be sentenced to life imprisonment if found guilty of the illegal practice, a proposed law passed by MPs indicates.

If they are not jailed, then, they will be required to pay KSh20 million or in a worst case scenario a poacher could face both penalties.