Ballot papers begin to arrive as polls near

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba during the launch of Public Forum to assess Kenya's readiness for the August 2017 General election in a Nairobi hotel on 18/07/2017. Photo by WILLIS AWANDU

Ballot papers started arriving in the country last night as preparations for the August polls entered their final phase.

The voting papers for the governor, senator, and woman representative positions arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on a Saudi Air flight, signalling that the preparations by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) were in top gear.

The electoral agency took to its Twitter handle to convey its readiness for the polls that have attracted 14,552 candidates for the six elective seats.

“Ballot papers for governor, woman rep, and senator land at 7pm tonight #ReadyOrNot,” tweeted IEBC.

The materials arrived even as IEBC awaits the Court of Appeal’s ruling on the presidential ballot papers tomorrow.

The printing of governor, member of Parliament, senator, woman representative, and member of county assembly (MCAs) ballots started on June 23, while the printing for presidential ballots papers had been planned to start on Tuesday.

Initial plan

The fate of the presidential ballots awaits the Appeal Court’s ruling after IEBC challenged the High Court ruling that cancelled a tender awarded to Al Ghurair.

According to IEBC’s initial plan, the shipping of electoral materials was to start on July 25, with the final batch being delivered on August 2.

Yesterday, the commission did not provide any details on the specific dates when the materials for the MP and MCA positions will be delivered.

But during an earlier interview with Commissioner Roselyne Akombe, it emerged that IEBC plans to have all the materials in the country by the end of this week.

At least 120 million ballot papers will be printed for the poll.

The ballot materials have been a source of conflict between the commission and the opposition National Super Alliance.

It has been cancelled three times, twice in the High Court and once before the Procurement Review Board.

With the polls less than three weeks away, IEBC is reported to be sourcing for alternative printers in case it loses in tomorrow’s ruling.