Court set to rule on ballot tender case

From left: Judges George Odunga (left), Joel Njagi and John Mativo at the High Court in Nairobi in June 2017. PHOTO | PAUL WAWERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  WALTER MENYA

What you need to know:

  • The decision, which justices George Odunga, Joel Ngugi and John Mativo are expected to deliver, will likely have consequences for the polls and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

  • The court will either quash the case or strike out the contract awarded to the Dubai-based Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing.

The High Court in Nairobi is on Friday expected to make a ruling on the awarding of a ballot printing contract to a Dubai-based company, two weeks after the National Super Alliance challenged the awarding.

The decision, which justices George Odunga, Joel Ngugi and John Mativo are expected to deliver, will likely have consequences for the polls and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

PRINTING ON

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The court will either quash the case or strike out the contract awarded to Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing.

The IEBC admitted that the case was of concern to it.

“It has far-reaching implications on the polls. That said, we are on course with printing ballot papers for seats and areas that have no disputes,” IEBC chief executive Ezra Chiloba said last week.

RIGGING

Striking out the case would be seen as a Jubilee triumph over the Opposition, whose basis of challenging the award to the company was that Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing had close links with the first family and senior people in the Jubilee Party.

But with the perception already created, throwing out Nasa’s case would be seen by the alliance’s supporters as pre-rigging the poll.

On the other hand, with just a month to the election, cancelling the contract would throw the General Election preparations into uncertainty.

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