Electoral agency ponders ballot job options
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati at a past media briefing at the commission's offices at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi on July 6, 2017. The electoral agency is fighting to salvage the ballot printitng tender awarded to Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC of Dubai. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- IEBC is between a rock and a hard place to print the presidential ballot papers from July 18 as per its schedule.
- IEBC is reportedly looking at suggesting to the public additional security features to the ballot papers for the presidential contest instead of cancelling the whole tender, to save on time.
- By Wednesday, the commission had received 40 proposals from the public suggesting the way forward.
The electoral agency was on Wednesday cracking its head on its options following a High Court ruling that quashed a tender to print the presidential election ballot papers.
The ruling has thrown the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) into confusion, with elections just 25 days away.
“All options are being explored on presidential ballot paper sourcing, ensuring method chosen complies with the law and addresses challenges,” the IEBC said on its Twitter page on Wednesday.
MEETING
The Wafula Chebukati-led commission, which held a meeting Wednesday afternoon in which no decision was made, is between a rock and a hard place to print the presidential ballot papers from July 18 as per its schedule.
A three-judge Bench on Friday quashed the tender that had been awarded to Dubai-based Al-Ghurair, but allowed it to continue printing the ballots for the other seats.
But IEBC is reportedly looking at suggesting to the public additional security features to the ballot papers for the presidential contest instead of cancelling the whole tender, to save on time.
40 PROPOSALS
By Wednesday, the commission had received 40 proposals from the public suggesting the way forward.
On Monday, Thirdway Alliance Presidential candidate Ekuru Aukot said the party will support a decision to single source the tender to a local firm or an international printer, but set out five conditions for that to happen.
Nasa proposed that the tender be given to two international firms, one to supply the ballots and the other the results declaration forms.
Jubilee on the other hand said it will not engage or suggest what IEBC should do.
IEBC has planned to receive its first batch of ballot papers on July 15 and its last on August 2.
