IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan has been been cited for contempt of court for failing to pay Sh 200 M debt to an advertising firm WPP Scangroup which handled their communications during the 2017 general election.
Justice Roselyne Aburili on Wednesday ruled that Marjan disobeyed a 2021 court order requiring the electoral commission to pay Scanad Africa a subsidiary of WPP Scangroup Sh245 million for strategic communication and media services provided ahead of the polls.
Despite acknowledging the debt and making a partial payment of Sh50 million in December 2023, the IEBC failed to allocate funds in its budget to clear the balance.
Justice Aburili ordered the IEBC boss to appear before her on September 30 for mitigation and possible sentencing. “The applicant has proved to the required legal standard that the respondent is in contempt of court,” she said.
In his defense, Marjan said the commission had classified the sum as a pending bill and had sought direction and funding from the National Treasury.
However, the judge noted that no evidence was presented to show concrete steps were taken to comply with the court order.
