Court allows IEBC to give tender for ballot papers

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been allowed to proceed with evaluation of firms that are seeking to supply ballot papers.

This is after the high court lifted a directive by the Public Procurement Administrative Review that was stopping the ongoing process.

High court judge George Odunga gave the interim orders in a case filed by Cecil James Oyugi under a certificate of urgency.

"That in the meantime further proceedings on the implementation of the review board's decision be and is hereby stayed," the order reads.

Justice Odunga further directed that the file and proceedings from the board be placed before him on Thursday for further directions.

On Friday, the PPARB ordered for the termination of the process of identifying a supplier for the strategic election materials citing flaws in tender documents.

This now means the commission may proceed with the evaluation of 9 firms that are fighting to clinch the Sh2.5 billion contract to supply ballot papers.

On Tuesday, the commission received a report from its secretariat proposing the way forward. The IEBC chiefs are meant to hold a plenary on Wednesday to approve the proposal but that may change following this new development.

Among the firms eying the deal include Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company, Unprint of South Africa, UK’s Tall Security Printing ltd and G.I solutions, Kenya’s Ellams Products Limited among others.

There have been claims that a plan was in place to single source the ballot papers from Dubai based Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing firm, whose initial contract was nullified by the high court.