The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)
has ceded ground on Nasa’s demands with the repeat elections exactly 30 days
away.
IEBC has struck a deal with the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) to identify another supplier following demands by NASA
leaders.
UNDP will now dentify a new printer expected to deliver the
ballot papers and other statutory forms for the October 26 elections.
The UN body will also meet the entire cost through its
programme known as ‘Strengthening the electoral process in Kenya'.
Part of NASA's conditions it calls “irreducible minimums”
which it wants IEBC to meet before it can participate in the repeat poll
includes the revocation of the Al Ghurair contract of printing of the ballot
papers.
IEBC says that although it has a contract with Al Ghurair,
the offer by UNDP is a welcome relief as it will boost the public confidence
that has been eroded since the nullification of the last presidential election
results.
“The commission has a financing agreement with UNDP, and in
accordance to this agreement, has offered to procure ballot papers and the
result forms. This assistance is meant to aid restore public confidence and
trust in the integrity of the ballot papers and result forms, as well as
address concerns raised by the Supreme Court,” said IEBC Chairman Wafula
Chebukati.
NASA had also demanded that they will not go into the
elections with the IEBC as currently constituted.
The electoral agency seemed to have also yielded to that
pressure as Chairman Wafula Chebukati said that some returning officers will be
shuffled while others may face disciplinary action arising from the nullified
August 8 elections.
Last week, IEBC Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs,
Praxedes Tororey Chepkoech offered to retire ahead of the repeat polls.
Tororey was in the list of senior IEBC officials who NASA
want to be excluded in the repeat presidential elections claiming they were
responsible for bungling the August 8 polls and accused them of being partisan.
