NASA Presidential candidates Raila Amolo Odinga at a past function.[Photo/newsweek.com]NASA Presidential candidates Raila Amolo Odinga fight for free and fair elections is almost yielding fruits after three presidential aspirants supported him in rejecting the awarding of the Sh2.5 billion ballot printing tender to a Dubai-based firm.
The four leaders- Raila, independent Joe Nyagah, Ekuru Aukot of the Third way Alliance and Professor Michael Wainaina of the Federal Party of Kenya, have opposed the awarding of the tender to the firm on the grounds that it has links to Jubilee and President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The opposition’s move did not auger well with Jubilee. The leaders aligned to the ruling party responded by accusing Raila of having a hidden agenda with the South Africa printing company he was advocating to be given the tender.
National Majority Leader Aden Duale said that Paarl Media Limited ad had promised Sh1 billion in return for the tender. Aukot backed Raila, saying that the award of the tender should not be politicized following an agreement among the presidential candidates.
“There was general consensus among presidential candidates during our meeting that the IEBC [should] cancel the tender to Al Ghurair, whom media reports suggest has links with the highest office in the land — and award it to a firm not associated with any of the political formations,” Aukot said after meeting IEBC commissioners.