The cost of holding this year's polls is at approximately Sh50 billion, compared to Sh26 billion spent in the 2013 General Election.
this translates to Sh2,500 per registered voter compared to Sh1,800 in the last polls.
A presidential run-off will be expected to cost between Sh8 billion and Sh10 billion.
The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) has called on the government to re-look the overall cost of holding general elections.
The accountants' lobby reckons that the exercise is too expensive, noting that the cost of holding this year's polls is at approximately Sh50 billion, compared to Sh26 billion that was spent in the 2013 General Election.
Speaking in Mombasa Thursday, ICPAK national chairman Julius Mwatu explained that this translates to Sh2,500 per registered voter compared to Sh1,800 in the last polls.
“This is far higher than the equivalent of Sh105 per registered voter which was spent by Ghana to hold their last General Election,” he said.
Run-off cost
On a presidential run-off, he said that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC) had previously projected that the exercise would cost Sh6 billion.
However, this figure has been revised to between Sh8 billion and Sh10 billion, which ICPAK fears is too expensive in addition to the economic losses associated with the anxiety that comes with prolonging the electioneering period.
In the event of a presidential runoff, the exercise is expected to be conducted within 30 days of the election date.
