Lawy Aura was blamed for delays in procuring ballot papers that will be used in the August 8 polls and was accused of incompetence that “made operations untenable” ahead of the August polls.
Mr Aura was removed just two days after a reported stormy meeting resolved to send the agency’s ICT director, James Muhati, on a 30-day compulsory leave on May 27 following accusations that he had refused to cooperate in an ongoing audit of the voter register, which has about 20 million names.
The electoral commission has removed its procurement director over delays in acquiring ballot papers for elections due in 61 days, throwing the preparedness of the poll into disarray.
It was not clear whether the top official, Lawy Aura, had been fired or transferred to another department.
Mr Aura was in charge of acquiring voting materials and equipment for the coming elections with the supply of the ballot papers delayed beyond the May 28 deadline.
Although the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) released the details of his removal on Tuesday morning, chairman Wafula Chebukati, in a statement, said Mr Aura was removed on May 29.
Mr Aura was blamed for delays in procuring ballot papers that will be used in the August 8 polls and was accused of incompetence that “made operations untenable” ahead of the August polls.
The IEBC had awarded the Sh2.5 billion tender to Dubai-based firm Al Ghurair last year. But a High Court judge in February cancelled it, saying it did not follow new election regulations after it was challenged by the opposition.
According to the contract terms, the Dubai company was to supply and deliver 130 million ballot papers within 21 days after the window for political parties to nominate their candidates for various elective positions closed on May 8 or three months to the August 8 General Election.
This means the firm was deliver the ballot papers by May 28.
“When you remove them at this particular time, then you are nearly throwing things into disarray, because you are leaving a new person to take charge with less that 60 days to the election,” Mulle Musau, national coordinator of the Election Observation Group, told Reuters.
The last General Election in 2013 was largely peaceful, but the country is still haunted by the violence that followed the disputed 2007 presidential poll when political protests rapidly turned into ethnic bloodletting. More than 1,200 people were killed and 600,000 fled their homes.
Mr Aura was removed just two days after a reported stormy meeting resolved to send the agency’s ICT director, James Muhati, on a 30-day compulsory leave on May 27 following accusations that he had refused to cooperate in an ongoing audit of the voter register, which has about 20 million names.
“The commission on May 29, 2017, relieved the procurement director Lawy Aura of his duties necessitated by incompetence that has made operations untenable as we fast approach the General Election,” said Mr Chebukati.
“We have noted with great concern the growing anxiety associated with the ballot procurement.”
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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
