IEBC Contracts Al Ghurair to Print Ballots for Repeat Election Despite Opposition by NASA

Dubai-based printing firm, Al Ghurair will print ballot papers for the repeat presidential election despite demands by Opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) to have it blocked from being part of the poll.

This comes after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries commission gave it a go ahead to print the ballots for President Uhuru and Raila Odinga's October 26th rematch.

The electoral commission said it decided to contract the Dubai-based company following the rejection by National Treasury to have UN development agency procure the materials.

IEBC vice chairperson Connie Maina said that the commission had ordered Al Ghurair to proceed with the printing after Nasa and Jubilee failed to reach a consensus in a meeting held on Friday.

“Both NASA and Jubilee have rejected the proposal. With limited options, the commission had to proceed in readiness for the October 26 elections. We are also running out of time. We are already in discussion with Al Ghurair to supply the ballot papers within the framework of the existing two-year contract,” Maina said on Saturday.

IEBC had last week written to the The Treasury over a deal with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to source for a new ballots supplier as a compromise following demands from Nasa.

In the deal, UNDP was to scout for a new printer to work on the the ballot papers and statutory forms before the election day.

The UN agency would further foot the bill for the printing of the ballots in a programme dubbed, ‘Strengthening the electoral process in Kenya’, which would help ease the cost burden on Kenyan tax payers.

“The commission has a financing agreement with UNDP, and in accordance to this agreement, has offered to procure ballot papers and the result forms. This assistance is meant to aid restore public confidence and trust in the integrity of the ballot papers and result forms, as well as address concerns raised by the Supreme Court,” IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati wrote.

“We wish to confirm you that the National Treasury provided adequate funding to IEBC in the financial year 2016/17 budgets to finance the national elections, including procurement of necessary materials and equipment. In addition, we have further provided Sh10 billion in the Supplementary Budget to cover the cost of the fresh presidential elections. We, therefore, do not consider it necessary to seek further support in this regard,” Treasury PS Kamau Thuge wrote to IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba in rejecting the UN deal.

NASA has named Al Ghurair as one of the firms which should be flushed out of the repeat poll in their ‘irreducible minimums’ demands for there to be an election on October 26th.