IEBC has reopened the tender for the supply of Covid-19 response items including personal protective equipment for use in the August 9 general election.
The electoral commission had suspended the tender amid signs of a slump in Covid-19 infections but has thought otherwise after the recent surge in infections.
The commission says it would acquire disposable surgical masks, surgical gloves and hand sanitisers for use at the 46,233 polling stations.
IEBC has also announced that it would activate the protocols for preventing the spread of Covid-19 and banning crowds at polling stations.
Commission CEO Hussein Marjan said on Thursday that several companies had been notified of the award of framework contracts for Covid-19 supplies during the advent of the pandemic.
He said the commission has already placed orders for the purposes of the general election. The tender was reserved for women.
“Now that there has been another announcement by the Ministry of Health that there is a surge in infections, we have since activated the frameworks,” he said.
Marjan further indicated that the commission would enforce Covid-19 protocols during voting to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We have our protocols and we will adhere to them as guided by the Ministry of Health,” the CEO said.
The protocols provide for the preventive measures that are set to apply to all the commission’s electoral activities.
The rules require that all staff, stakeholders and the general public shall wear facemasks while participating in the election.
Clerks would, however, have room to ask a voter to remove their mask or lower it temporarily for clear identification.
Alcohol-based sanitisers will also be placed in strategic locations and shall be used by everyone participating in the electoral process.
“The Commission in collaboration with other authorities shall enforce the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health on all social and political gatherings including meetings and crowds,” the commission said in the rules.
The protocols also provide that a one and a half metres physical distance will be maintained between persons in all places including polling centres.
“Voters are encouraged to bring and use their own items such as pens or writing materials where applicable to reduce chances of sharing,” the protocols read.
IEBC has also committed to providing soap and water at all entry and exit points to promote high standards of hygiene.
During voting, persons with proven pre-existing medical conditions as well as elderly people, the disabled, lactating mothers, pregnant mothers and the sick would be given priority.
The planned enforcement of the rules could also see the number of agents allowed in a polling station limited to two at a time.
“The other visitors will wait outside until the time when the returning officer is ready to serve them. E-mail and other modes of communication will be encouraged,” the rules read.
Returning officers and their teams would be required to wear masks at all times and “make use of face shields, gloves, disposable or re-washable caps, masks and neck strips while attending to stakeholders.”
“The returning officer shall ensure that regularly touched surfaces are consistently wiped and disinfected, and that hand sanitisers are readily available to the electorate and staff,” the protocols read.
Presiding officers would thus be required to confirm the availability of the PPEs, check the health condition of poll officials, check the availability of water and soap, and demarcate the polling station to ensure a physical distance of 1.5 metres.
It remains to be seen how the rules would play out, especially amid calls by certain candidates that their supporters remain at the polling station after voting.
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga has in recent campaign stops asked his followers to stay put ‘to guard the vote.’
But IEBC says they would apply the rules that were applied in 2017 which among them barred non-gazetted members of the public from crowding polling stations.
Commissioner Abdi Guliye, in a meeting with the private sector players, asked political parties to accredit two agents for all six seats.
“Since it is a right for Kenyans to be at the polling station and we can't throw them out, let us have two agents to oversee all elective seats.”
Guliye said the law which sets a radius of 400 metres within which unauthorised persons are barred from a polling station after voting still applies.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
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