First batch of presidential ballots arrives at JKIA

The first batch of the 2022 presidential ballot papers has arrived in the country, days before the August 9 polls.

The plane, an EgyptAir, carrying the materials from Greece touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at around 11am on Wednesday.

The consignment contains presidential ballot papers for 18 counties: Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Garissa and Wajir.

The others are for Marsabit, Isiolo, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Nyandarua and Nyeri.

In each pallet, there are about 54 boxes for a constituency and it represents one elective post.

The ballot papers are being printed by a Greek firm, Inform P Lykos.

The final batch of the papers is expected in the country on Saturday, nine days before voters go to polling stations to elect President Uhuru Kenyatta's successor.

A team of 14 people last week flew to Athens to witness the printing and are expected to accompany the papers back to Kenya.

They include religious leaders, representatives of presidential candidates, civil society representatives, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, the Political Parties Liaison Committee and the Media Council of Kenya.

Also in the delegation are two commissioners, vice chairperson Julianna Cherera and Francis Wanderi, as well as some secretariat staff.

Already, the electoral commission has received ballot papers for different elective posts that will be used in next month’s high-stake polls.

The IEBC has said there will be no excess ballot papers that will be printed for the presidential election to avoid any foul play, including ballot-stuffing.

The IEBC said only 22,120,458 ballot papers will be shipped into the country, being the exact number of the country's registered voters.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)