Opposition leader Raila Odinga wants Safran Morpho stopped from supplying technology for the fresh election.
Raila said on Monday that just as National Super Alliance (NASA) has demanded reforms at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) following the bungled August 8 polls, the French firm, too, should take responsibility for the failures in the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS).
He also threatened to name the individuals he claimed had influenced the tender awarded to the French firm to supply KIEMS.
“We know the top government and the IEBC officials who colluded to steal the elections. Saffran Morpho did not win the tender to supply the technology. It was single-sourced," said Raila.
The presidential candidate who met Bunge La Wenye Nchi members at the Okoa Kenya offices in Nairobi, also questioned why the Wafula Chebukati-led electoral agency would budget for a repeat presidential election to the tune of Sh12 billion, yet the electoral technology can be leased or hired at a lower price.
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Individuals' pockets
“IEBC has given a budget of Sh12 billion and it could even reach Sh15 billion. What do they want to use this kind of money for if not to go into individuals' pocket?” asked Raila.
He went on: “Based on our assessment, this repeat presidential election can only cost Sh3 billion. Jubilee has inflated the figures so that they can get their cuts. They want to steal from Kenyans.”
He said the Sh800 million set aside by the National Treasury to cater for security is a ploy for Jubilee to steal public funds.
Security officers who participated in the August elections are still waiting for their pay from the electoral agency.
Raila said his group is on the trail of firms that printed fake result declaration forms and ballot papers along Mombasa Road.
He maintained that NASA is opposed to the printing of election materials by the Dubai-based Al Ghurair firm and insisted on a thorough independent and transparent end-to-end audit and quality assurance of the election technology ecosystem.
“We maintain the people who messed up the last elections cannot be allowed to participate in organising and conducting the next election. Polling stations must be gazetted, names and respective GPS locations published in at least two daily newspapers,” said Raila.
