With only 27 days to the General Election, options are becoming limited by day for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in as far as printing of presidential ballots is concerned.
Faced with this reality, IEBC could end up printing the ballot papers locally especially after the major presidential candidates made the proposal on Monday.President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party submitted that they did not care who gets the tender, even if it is awarded to Nasa vendors provided the elections are not postponed on the basis of lack of presidential ballots.The idea of awarding the presidential ballot printing tender to a local firm was backed by Raila Odinga-led Nasa and Alliance for Real Change candidate Mohamed Abduba Dida.“Our money is printed here in Kenya. And we have had no issue with it being a legal tender. And three weeks is adequate time for ballots printing and it should not be an excuse at all that we have no time, “ said Senator James Orengo, who led the Nasa team.Dida on his part submitted to the IEBC: "Give Jubilee and Nasa Sh10 million each, we have no problem. If they are saying they cannot, give it to the Government Printer or take it to these people on Kirinyaga Road. It is not a big deal."Thirdway Alliance Kenya presidential candidate Ekuru Aukot presented a detailed written memorandum asking the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to single source the tender to a local firm, but hire an international logistics company to monitor the movement from dispatch to the polling stations.Other presidential candidates Cyrus Jirongo, Joe Nyagah, Prof Michael Wainaina and Japhet Kaluyu did not oppose such a move.The meeting was convened following a ruling by High Court on Friday that quashed the printing of the presidential elections ballot papers by Dubai-based Al-Ghurair.