IEBC announces election and referendum materials tender

IEBC invited tenders for the supply of ballot papers, voter register, referendum results declaration forms among other election materials. [File, Standard]

The Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced its invitation to tenders on election materials, as part of its preparations ahead of the 2022 General election, which is barely 12 months away.

However, the Chebukati-led commission hinted at a possible referendum after it included referendum materials in the tender notice published on the Daily Nation.

This comes at a time when the commission is actively conducting interviews, aimed at recruiting four commissioners to the national electoral agency.

The process kicked off 15 months to the General Election, even as the commission is waiting for the court’s verdict on the BBI process which halted the proposed referendum.

In a public notice dated July 14, the IEBC invited tenders for the supply of ballot papers, voter register, referendum results declaration forms among other election materials.

From left: Exiting IEBC Commissioners Consolata Nkatha, Margaret Wanyala and former commissioner Dr Roselyne Kwamboka at the Supreme Court, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The tender is expected to run for a period of three years.

“IEBC invites sealed tenders for the supply and delivery of ballot papers, register of voters, statutory election result declaration forms to be used at the polling stations, election and referendum declaration forms to be used at the constituency, county and national tallying centre,” the Commission’s acting CEO, Marjan Hussein said.

The electoral commission has assured interested tenderers of fair and equal awarding of the tenders adding the process is open to all security printing firms.

“Tendering will be conducted under open international tendering method using a standardized tender document. It is open to all security printing firms,” Hussein reiterated.

The notice went on, “Tenderers must submit a tender security of Sh20 million or the equivalent currency in the form of a bank guarantee, valid for 210 days from the day of officially opening the tender,”

The commission has faced operation challenges as a result of quorum hitches since the exit of the four commissioners (vice-chairperson Consolata Nkatha, Margaret Mwachanya, Paul Kurgat and Roselyne Akombe).

IEBC has been operating with three commissioners since 2018 after the last batch of commissioners – Nkatha, Mwachanya and Kurgat – jointly quit the electoral body.

Akombe had resigned in 2017, while on her way to Dubai to supervise the shipping of ballot papers for the repeat elections, which were held on October 26, on grounds her life was in danger.

The three current commissioners are Chair Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Mulu.

The Commission is in the process of interviewing over 30 candidates who expressed their interest to fill the four vacant positions.