IEBC: Al Ghurair can still get direct tender, print presidential ballots

The Dubai firm that had been awarded the ballot paper printing tender by IEBC resulting to major fallouts between the commission and the opposition coalition NASA is still among companies likely to be considered for a direct tender award for production of presidential ballots.

The Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO Ezra Chiloba has said given the limited time left to the elections day, it was already settled for that the controversial ballots for the presidency will be printed by a firm that will be directly awarded the tender.

Speaking on today, Wednesday 12, July, during an interview at a local radio station, Mr Chiloba said they were yet to decide which company could be awarded the tender that had been quashed by the court last Friday but Al Ghurair was among those that could be considered.

“Due to the limited time available, we had already decided that the tender will be awarded directly and the only decision we are yet to make is who will be given the tender but Al Ghurair is still among those that can be considered,” said Mr Chiloba.

Mr Chiloba added that the commission was banking on the discussions they had initiated over the tender awarding process and that IEBC will be able to let Kenyans know the way forward within the next three days.

This comes as the Opposition coalition NASA, through a letter to the IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati demanded that Mr Chiloba, ICT director James Muhati who was once sent on a 30 days compulsory leave and the director of voter registration Immaculate Kassait are ejected from poll preparations.

Mr Chiloba in response to the calls by the opposition said they had been mandated to serve the commission and he was not aware of why the opposition was making such demands.

He said that he had spoken to some of the leaders in the opposition over the matter and that their response was that he should let them play their politics.

IEBC invited presidential candidates for discussions on the presidential ballot tender held at Hilton Hotel where the top contenders sent representatives with the Third Way Alliance Party candidate Ekuru Aukot walking out of the discussion in protest of IEBC’s move to appeal the court ruling that squashed the earlier tender.

Mr Chiloba says that the Dubai firm had already printed the ballots for the gubernatorial, parliamentary and county assembly polls.