Elections Will be Held Even if NASA Boycotts, IEBC Says

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has maintained that it will not be cancelling the ballot papers printing tender awarded to Dubai company Al Ghurair.

The poll management body chairman, Wafula Chebukati said that his commission will not succumb to pressure by the National Super Alliance leaders to cancel the tender, adding that the tender was a done deal.

"The position of the Commission is very clear. We have given our reasons and invited NASA to give us theirs. If there are any grounds...any evidence that their allegations are true, then that can be considered," Chebukati said.

NASA has questioned the awarding of the tender to the company that they say has links with top Jubilee leaders including President Uhuru Kenyatta.

According to Chebukati, the commission had signed the contracts and the work is going on, "so we really have no reason to change."

"But remember we are printing 120 million ballot papers. Printing is not the big part...the big part is packaging them and ensuring they are delivered to polling stations, no mistakes are made and that security features are maintained," he said.

"That is the issue we are looking at and that is why we need time. We don't have time because [the schedule] needs to be followed up to the letter."

Chebukati said that the elections will go on even if the Opposition NASA pulls out because they can easily find other people to participate in the election.

"There are many Kenyans. There are other stakeholders - civil society, religious leaders and the media. They can be agents...we shall invite those willing to participate to come with us to oversee to ensure the process is fair." Chebukati noted.

He noted that the IEBC is an independent institution with the power to manage elections, adding that he commission will not allow itself to be intimidated.

"So we don't really need somebody to work with us but we are reaching out to stakeholders so they can walk with us if there are any doubts," he said, reiterating the Commission is ready to deliver.

He added, “Even if nobody was to come, I don't think it casts doubts on the credibility of the institution because we are within the law in what we are doing. We are not supposed to involve all the 40 million Kenyans in the process. Our job is to deliver a free, fair and credible election."