IEBC embroiled in tender war over supply, delivery of ballot papers

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is embroiled in a protracted tender war for the supply and delivery of ballot papers and register of voters.

Just when the commission was preparing to award the multi-billion tender to Greek firm Inform P Lykos, the agency was slapped with four suits that have derailed the signing of the three-year contract.

A court tussle that has IEBC blocked from awarding the contract will likely determine what happens with the tender.

Four of the 12 shortlisted firms for the supply of ballot papers have challenged IEBC’s decision to award the said contract to the Greek company.

This setting off protracted tender wars that mirror the 2017 merchant wars to clinch the lucrative multi-billion shillings tender.

The four firms are Africa Infrastructure Development Company, Uniprint, Tall Security Print Limited and Dubai-based Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing.

Ironically, Al Ghurair printing was the last supplier of ballot papers and register of voters for the 2017 General Elections.

The tender wars have derailed the signing of the three-year contract that had been set for Friday last week.

Greek firm Inform P Lykos had won the tender to supply ballots at Ksh.307 per ballot paper. But with the cases pending before the Public Procurement Review Board, IEBC has been blocked from proceeding with the signing of the contract until all the appeals are finalized.

Africa Infrastructure Development in its suit against IEBC contested the criteria for 40 per cent local content requirement in the tender.

The firm claimed IEBC was not only evasive but also failed to clarify the 40 per cent requirement.

The company therefore went ahead and submitted a protest letter instead of bid document saying IEBC failed to prepare clear and specific requirements.

IEBC, in a rebuttal, claimed Africa Infrastructure Development did not participate in the tender having failed to submit its bid document, and therefore cannot stand in the way of the awarding of the contract

Uniprint accused IEBC of discrimination and unfairness in the procurement process. The printing firm alleged that despite complying with the set out requirements, the commission’s evaluation committee was allegedly incompetent. And as such, the evaluation committee lacked the requisite competence to process and evaluate its tender document as submitted.

In a strange twist to events, Dubai-based Al Ghurair printing and publishing that bagged the 2017 Ksh.2.5 billion contract for the supply and delivery of ballots has equally challenged IEBC’s decision to award the contract to a different firm.