The October 17th presidential repeat election ordered by the Supreme Court could cost the taxpayer at least Sh10 billion, an analysis of previous Budget estimates indicate.
This cost will cater for the hiring of polling clerks and officials, transport and security, all of which will not change in comparison to August 8th poll, even though Kenyans are only going to the ballot for one elective seat, as opposed to the six on August 8th.
However, the Sh10 billion estimate does not include the cost of printing ballot papers, which the Raila Odinga-led National Super Alliance (Nasa) has demanded must be printed by an alternative firm other than Dubai-based Al Ghurair, which printed ballots for August 8th elections.
The Electoral Commission paid Sh2.5 billion to the Dubai firm for the printing of 120 million ballot papers for the August 8th elections covering Kenya’s 1,882 elective seats.
IEBC is said to have signed a two-year contract with Al Ghurair, which might guarantee them a subsequent deal for printing ballots for all by-elections within a two-year period, including the October repeat presidential poll.
“This agreement is valid for two years, so we will be printing all the ballot papers that are required for the by-elections, too.
“We have had this contract since 2014. The contract that we have signed is a framework contract that will (last) another two years so we will be printing and supplying for other by-elections scheduled in the next two years,” Lakshmanan Ganapathy, the general manager of Al Ghurair, told journalists who were part of a team that monitored the printing and packaging of ballot papers in Dubai in late July.
IEBC has narrowed down the repeat election ordered by the Supreme Court to a rematch pitting President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, with the other six candidates locked out.
IEBC communications manager, Andrew Limo, said that the commission was finalising a tabulation of the costs to be forwarded to the Treasury for funding.
IEBC used Sh2.8 billion for hiring transport and Sh5.5 billion to pay polling officials in the August 8th election, costs unlikely to change in the repeat poll.
The commission further spent Sh476 million for security, Sh260 million for licenses for the technology they used, while Sh1.25 billion was used to foot compliance and litigation costs.
RAO,it can no longer be your…
RAO,it can no longer be your way or the highway. You are a mosquito; and one mosquito cannot disrupt an entire city. You want a real job? Quit politics and IEBC will hire you to oversee future polls. Kenyans are sick, sick, sick and very tired of you. Mama yako!
By the way, have the…
By the way, have the security forces arrested those responsible for the death of Msando? The people who killed him got the necessary information that they wanted in order to tamper with the election results.
My fellow Kenyans, a vote for Jubilee is a vote for the old repressive KANU. I will not forgive dictator Toroitich for giving the people of Kenya two cowards (Uhuru and Ruto) who did not participate in the second liberation of Kenya.
When you see these two robots, remember they could not have made it on their own had Toroitich not put them there. Many people have been killed since the robots got into power. No one has been arrested for the senseless murders. This style of leadership has been copied from kenyatta and toroitich.
I would like to express my words of gratitude to President Mwai Kibaki for leading the nation of Kenya as a true statesman and a patriot.
@Imara: Has your RAO been…
@Imara: Has your RAO been arrested or held responsible for the death of more than 1,300 Kenyans in 2007? How do you know Msando was killed by Jubilee? Who had something to gain from the murder of Msando? Answer that question for yourself.
ugh…..same old arguments…
ugh…..same old arguments. Better Toroitich than than comrade Raila!
Maybe we (wanainchi) should…
Maybe we (wanainchi) should turn the tables and sue the lot of them. That money could have been used constructively. It’s getting really dirty and self centered. Complete disregard of the rot around Kenya, the poor, sick and elderly, not to mention failing public services. Do we have a lawyer in this forum who can enlighten if we would have a leg to stand on legally? We could open a go fund account….. the vision…. Maybe we can revolt at this shameful display by our leaders and make history of our own. We are after all the forgotten generation. Lawyers, please enlighten!!
Can this ahole judge pay for…
Can this ahole judge pay for it. Rao is senile.
@Wakenya”…
@Wakenya”
For goodness sake, don’t ask for the sad days of kenyatta and toroitich oppressive regimes to return back to Kenya.
Uhuru is incapable of running Kenya. He is an alcoholic with a drug problem. He should step down and leave the leadership to Ruto. He needs to go to a drug rehabilitation.
I miss President Mwai Kibaki. This man did an exemplary job as the president of Kenya and hardly cared about what the people were doing or saying, except his late wife!
Imara, you will live to eat…
Imara, you will live to eat your words and regret if Raila wins. I believe he is truly evil. When I watch his speeches, they are all laced with violence, hate and incitement. He does not care for you or me but for himself. He has gone an extra mile to discredit his rivals and when that didn’t work pre-elections, he executed plan B but still has a contingency in the wings in the form of division. After hearing a lot of his rants, I believe that Uhuru’s current public display is symptomatic of one pushed too far. Akin to a relationship when one person tries to be the peace keeper but the other keeps chipping away at every opportunity. This guy is evil and I am truly worried of our families and future. The African country once admired the world over has turned to be a stink hole.