Electoral agency ignores Raila’s plea on voting materials
Printing of ballot papers for next month’s election is expected to start any time now.
Sources within the electoral commission told People Daily that parties had been given four days to change the names of nominees. Now that the deadline has lapsed, the electoral commission is free to embark on printing the over 200 million ballot papers, a contract awarded to an Athens-based company.
The commencement of printing is likely to go against demands made by Raila Odinga, the Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate. Last month, Raila, through his lawyer Paul Mwangi, raised several questions with the electoral agency regarding the polls, among them the location of the Greek printing firm that won the tender.
Raila had also wanted to know the ballot papers’ design, security features as well as transport and storage logistics plans.
“We request information on when the commission intends to travel to the printing press with representatives of political parties to inspect the printing of ballot papers, statutory forms and other election materials,” the letter by Mwangi read.
Although IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati had promised to enjoin parties in travel plans by stakeholders to visit the firm, sources told People Daily that it does not have the budget for the trip.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a budget to finance the stakeholders so we shall ask you to look into your kitty,” Chebukati said last month in the clearest indication that IEBC would not undertake Raila’s demands unless he foots the bill for the inspection tour.
The contract for printing this year’s election materials was awarded to Iform Lykos.
