• Through its twitter handle, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission clarified that what was detained was labeling stickers.
• "The JKIA security agencies in their normal procedure were trying to validate the stickers with the Commission," IEBC explained.
Image: IEBC /TWITTER
DCI detectives are investigating the discovery of poll materials that were Thursday morning intercepted at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The IEBC tags were discovered on a passenger who had hidden them in his traveling bag.
The passenger identified as Comarco Gregoria had arrived from London with 17 rolls of stickers for various constituencies in the country.
The traveler was detained for grilling and taken to the DCI headquarters where he spent the better part of the day.
But in a quick rejoinder, IEBC refuted claims that the materials were ballot papers allegedly imported into the country outside the indicated schedule of election materials.
Through its twitter handle, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission clarified that what was intercepted were labeling stickers.
"The correct position is that today morning the Commission received stickers to aid labeling and distribution of election materials," the commission said.
"The JKIA security agencies in their normal procedure were trying to validate the stickers with the Commission," it added.
The commission reiterated its commitment to delivering a transparent, fair, and credible election next month.
In their probe, however, the Police wanted to understand why the passenger was carrying the materials and how he acquired them.
The officers want to know why he was carrying such sensitive materials without any official escort or word from the commission on their destination and usage.
“We don’t know if more have passed or these were the only ones. These are sensitive materials to be just found with him,” said an official privy to the investigation.
Officials said a multi-agency team is probing the issue and will get in touch with the polls agency.
Officers raised suspicion after the man was found carrying the materials under his clothes in his traveling bag.
He told police the materials were genuine and for use by the IEBC.
“Even if they are genuine as he claims, it is unusual for him to have them now. Who is he?” a police officer following up the matter wondered.
The issue may dent the credibility of the commission should detectives unravel any fishy underdealings.
Already, a section of the political class alleged that some ballot papers were printed and sneaked into the country weeks before the arrival of the first batch of papers arrived on July 7, 2022.
Prior to the arrival of the consignment, however, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati refuted the claims and assured the country that there has been no tampering with the lot.
He said security measures had been enhanced such as serial numbers calibrated onto the papers to the precise number of registered voters.
"Don't let anybody lie to you. All ballot papers are serialised, we are only printing ballot papers to the tune of 22,120,258 which is the number of registered voters per every elective seat," Chebukati said.
He spoke during a meeting with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) in Nairobi.
"There's nothing like extra papers that will be printed," he added.
Presidential ballot papers will be the last to be printed.
The first team of presidential candidates' representatives is in Greece to inspect the printing of the ballot papers.
IEBC struck a deal with presidential candidates to send their agents to visit the printing company's factories to assess the process.
The commission said the visit will enable stakeholders who include and religious leaders to witness how the printing, packaging and the logistics of the electoral process are done.