Folks If IEBC has failed credibility test, there is no need to go with it through election. The team must be disqualified and new team must be formed immediately. The law for integrity is very clear and there is no beating about the bush. Judy Miriga Diaspora Spokesperson Executive Director Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc., USA http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com IEBC tender confusion Published on Jul 21, 2012 by NTVKenya http://www.ntv.co.ke COMMENTS: Anglo leasing, GOLDENBERG, TRITON now THE ELECTIONS OF THE REP. OF KENYA.., this situation of interferences, illegal activity by ASIAN BUSINESS CON MEN who are not custodians of the country must stop.., DEFRAUDING THE COUNTRY IT'S MONEY, TAXES PAID BY KENYANS AND FLEE TO THE UK LIKE THE REST is DISGUSTING and these ASIAN CON MEN must think twice from now on. Much to my anger, we have Kenyans of African of descent playing along TO PROFIT out of this outright theft unleashed TO THE COUNTRY why should you import buckets i think ken-poly can make ballot boxes at 100 shilling each How much did Orengo pay for this shirt.??? I wonder... How much did Orengo spend on his shirt. Does anything work in Kenya at all? Corruption everywhere you look...This muindi guy looks like a crook..Why do we trust them with sensitive stuff like elections? SMH! What a clusterf*ck. We need to select a proven company - like the South African company even tho their offer is 4.5B. Who knows who owns these other funny Syphony/ Symphony companies. This is guy looks like a crook. Man these Indians always get these tenders and never deliver a good job or disappear with the money in collusion with corrupt Kenyans. Guys never learn. I would prefer a japanese or Chinese company won the tender or a western company with atleast 10yrs experience doing such jobs. Are there any honest people left in Kenya? Orengo is refering to companies such like clinix Orengo is refering to companies such like clinix IEBC credibility testSHARE THIS STORYUpdated 2 hrs 51 mins ago By Peter Opiyo The national electoral body guaranteed Kenyans a smooth and trouble-free election as it strove to deflect potential damage to its credibility over the raging electronic voting tender row. Faced with the dilemma of running time, with only a little over eight months to its March 4 election date, and the pressure to get the right facility to deliver Kenya's first electronic voting, the electoral team battled to retain the treasure its predecessor lost: Confidence of Kenyans and its credibility as an independent and professional arbiter. Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Issack Hassan faced the camera and assured Kenyans that the controversial Sh3.9 billion biometric voting machines tender, now the subject of national attention, will be awarded fairly and in line with Kenya's procurement laws. He was fighting rising concerns, largely posted on Internet sites that the company that is being considered after the lowest bidder was disregarded is linked to an influential political activist associated with the Party of National Unity. There were also claims doing the rounds that there could be direct link between a judicial official who featured in a case involving a IEBC official, and an employee of the company being considered for the tender. Tender debate The tender process has elicited criticism from a section of politicians with some challenging IEBC to shed light as to why it ignored the first ranked company, 4G Identity Solution. There have also been questions regarding the exact name and ownership of Symphony, the second ranked company that is now under scrutiny. 4G Identity Solution quoted Sh3.7 billion but after due diligence it was found out it had some negative information regarding its operations. It is after this that the Commission shifted its spotlight onto Systems Integrated Limited trading as Symphony, and the team is expected to brief the Commissioners on the progress today. Symphony quoted Sh3.8 billion but has a higher technical score posting 81per cent compared to 4G Identity Solution's 80 per cent. IEBC has a budget ceiling of Sh3.97 billion for the tender. There have also been claims Symphony was blacklisted by Public Accounts Committee in the 1990s but its management has since clarified it was later cleared. Kivuitu team memories Going by the nasty experience of 2007 when the defunct Electoral Commission led by Mr Samuel Kivuitu, which had lost the confidence of Kenyans and was composed of members unilaterally picked by the President, IEBC came out fighting, predictably to assure its own difference from the Kivuitu team. Safina presidential candidate Paul Muite captured the mood in the country and the rising attention on IEBC when he asked: "If IEBC is unable to handle an issue like this one competently, transparently and without a whiff of scandal, how does it expect the Kenyan people to have confidence that it will have the capacity to conduct next years general elections?" He warned that the tender controversy in which IEBC is embroidered was eroding public confidence in it. Hassan's team is facing the burden of delivering Kenya's biggest six-in-one election under the new system of voting as well as making sure the process is credible, fair and free, so as to avoid the grim consequences that followed the 2007's shambolic election. Apart from budgetary problems with the Treasury, which has undermined its deadlines, IEBC also faces the hurdle of doing so much in so little a time, including fresh voter registration and education, in time for the March 4 date which it set for itself. Hassan, who led the team that successfully delivered by-elections after the 2007 debacle, explained his team was scrutinising the second-ranked company to see whether it has the capacity to deliver the 9,750 Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits. "We want to assure all Kenyans that this BVR tender will be concluded in accordance with the procurement law. We are conscious of the high public expectations placed on in the journey to the March 4, 2013 polls," said Mr Hassan. Hassan explained IEBC has written to the Clerk of National Assembly Mr Patrick Gichohi to find out the company's status with PSC. The IEBC has also written to the Registrar of Companies regarding the exact names of the company and has also dispatched correspondence to Ministry of Finance to assess its financial muscle. The Criminal Investigations Department has also been contacted to see if the company has any criminal record. "Due Diligence is underway on Systems Integrated Limited trading as Symphony, as per the provision of Regulation 52(2) of the Public Procurement and Disposal Regulations, 2006. Their report will determine whether the tender will be awarded," said Mr Hassan. IEBC appealed for patience as it tries to balance speed and clarity of the law. "We ask for patience, understanding and support from all of you. We know where we have come from and we will not allow anyone or anything to take us back there. We mean business," said Mr Hassan at a press conference accompanied by CEO Mr James Oswago and all the eight Commissioners. Symphony is working in partnership with Germany's Dermalog Identification Systems to offer technical core components for a BVR system like finger scanners, BVR case and solar solution. Still within time According to the German government, Dermalog has delivered more than 70 large-scale biometric installations around the world for civil and criminal finger print identification as well as international border control installations. Hassan expressed regret at the delay in concluding the tender process but pointed out IEBC is still within time for voter registration. The compliance with the procurement laws, he said, was delicate and the commission may at times take time to comply with the rules, but pointed out that some people do not understand this. "We would like to assure Kenyans that we will professionally and expeditiously conclude this matter in time to deliver free and fair elections," said Hassan. Some politicians had argued the controversy amounted to rigging the electoral process, but Hassan dismissed this as 'misplaced fears.' The process has seen a IEBC tender committee resign after it insisted that a company that had quoted Sh810 million above the IEBC's budget be awarded the tender. The company, Face Technology was ranked third. The committee led by Ms Praxedes Tororey had recommended that Face Technology be given the green light to supply the kits quoting a price of Sh4.78 billion. A total of 29 firms applied for the tender but 18 firms were knocked out at the preliminary stage. Amos.24 July 2012 7:00 AM The existing procurement rules provide for both technical and financial evaluation of tenders. The first is usually the technical evaluation which grades all tenders in terms of their technical competencve to provide the sought service. After a few firms pass through the technical evaluation, then they are considered to be technically fit to provide the service and the only other consideration is at how much. There is no justification therefore to overlook the lowest bidder who would have passed the technical test. What IEBC should to to reassure Kenyans is to publish the results of both the technical and financial evaluation for Kenyans to see for themselves if the reasons given may be valid. We are dealing with a very informed citizenry. Sifu Msafiri23 July 2012 10:07 PM IEBC should come out clear on this compnay, Sypmhony, as it might end up being phony. A company tendering for a shs. 3.9 billion job should have enough publicly available information for interested parties to check it out. An internet search of this company yields very little. Apart from some lofty statement that it's a well-established IT company in East Africa, with a corporate history that goes back over 30 years, and that it is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with operations in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia, there is very little else. Kenya has a bad history of electoral frauds, with fraudsters trying all possible ways to disenfranchise Kenyans at every turn. IEBC will have to do a better job than simply saying that the tender will be awarded in accordance with Procurement Rules. One way of calming peoples' anxiety is to make public the result of the so-called due diligence that he claims to be ongoing. That should involve full disclosure, including the ownership of the company. Claims that it's associated with a political activist is very scary! The Star (Nairobi)Kenya: NHIF Rate May Jump to Sh3,885By Francis Mureithi and Shem Oluchiri, 21 July 2012 KENYANS may have to pay up to Sh3,885 per month for their health insurance if the recommendations of a strategic review of the National Hospital Insurance Fund report are adopted. A new report proposes that everyone earning Sh15,000 and above should contribute Sh3,885 per month up from the current monthly contribution of Sh320. The majority of those in formal employment fall into this bracket. If the recommendations are implemented, Kenyans will pay even more than the controversial rates that were put on hold in May. A strategic review on NHIF by Deloitte Consulting has cited increased inflation, rising medical costs, and increasing population as the main reasons why Kenyans should pay more each month for health insurance. According to the report, those earning below Sh6,000 should contribute between Sh364 and 1,457. Previously, this group was to contribute Sh150. They currently pay between Sh30 to Sh120. Those earning from Sh6,000 to Sh10,000 should contribute between Sh1,700 and Sh2,428. Previously this group was to contribute Sh300 to Sh400. Those earning between Sh10,000 and Sh15,000 should contribute between Sh2,671 and Sh3,643 according to Deloitte. Previously this group was to contribute Sh400 to Sh500. They contributes from Sh180 to Sh 00. NHIF earlier proposed that those earning between Sh15,000 to Sh50,000 should contribute between Sh600 and Sh1000 while those earning above Sh50,000 were to contribute Sh1,500. Those earning above Sh100,000 were to contribute Sh 2,000 as per the rates suspended in May. "It should be noted that for all income ranges, the inflation adjusted NHIF rate is greater than current NHIF rates and the proposed new NHIF rates. A review of the current NHIF rates therefore needs to be considered particularly if NHIF intends to improve the level of rebates to members and provide a coverage that relates to current medical costs," the report reads. The report was completed towards the end of 2011 and was prepared for the International Finance Corporation under a joint cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Medical Services and the NHIF. In an interview with the Star, Medical Services minister Anyang Nyong'o said the ministry will go ahead and implement the rates suspended in May and may increase further as per Deloitte's recommendations. He revealed that the ministry already prepared a Cabinet memo detailing the Deloitte recommendations. "We had proposed that in our new proposed scheme that the highest contributor would contribute 2000 shillings and the lowest contributor 150 shillings. We knew given the size of contributors we knew we could offer outpatient cover," said Nyong'o. When asked whether Kenyans will see a review of the new proposed rates, he said, "Yes, definitely, I have prepared a memo to cabinet that also included a Bill on amendment of the NHIF Act." The report also recommends that NHIF reduce its costs since it is currently spending 45 percent of the contributions received on administration. Only 55 percent is what is paid out to purchase healthcare services from providers. "To allow the Fund to optimize and maximize the collected contributions on the purchasing healthcare, NHIF must relentlessly focus on reducing its administrative costs," the report notes. It recommends NHIF to utilize better its office space noting that currently each employee uses an average of 436 square feet. "NHIF could earn Sh 7.5 million (Sh 90 million p.a) if they occupied 40ksqft based on an average of 150 sq ft," the report indicates. The report also recommends a human resource management rationalization at NHIF to ensure more cost efficient utilization of staff and increased staff productivity. African Press Review 24 July 2012MPs Press for election to be in August 2013 By Michael Fitzpatrick, 24 July 2012 A burgeoning secessionist movement in Eastern Kenya and wasteful or irregular spending in South Africa's local governments are among the stories covered in today's African press. According to the main story in today's Daily Nation, fresh doubts have emerged over when Kenyans will vote in the next presidential, parliamentary and local elections. The paper says some MPs and ministers are quietly pushing for a date sometime in August, 2013. Supporters of the August date argue that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is not ready to hold the elections on March 4, 2013, because of the delay in awarding the Biometric Voter Registration tender and the mapping of 80 new constituencies. Initially supposed to be held next month, the elections were postponed by the cabinet until 17 December this year. Then that date was overtaken by a High Court ruling which suggested 4 March, 2013 as the likely date. On Monday a group of MPs vowed to block the move towards a further extension, which would mean the current Parliament would extend its term beyond 13 January, 2013, in violation of the constitution. An additional delay would also mean that President Kibaki could stay in office until December 2013, if the voting goes to a second round. Kenya might have more serious things to worry about. According to an analysis piece in Zimbabwe's NewsDay, an outlawed group is calling for the coastal region, with its booming tourist industry and Mombasa, Kenya's oldest city and biggest port, to secede from east Africa's largest economy. The separatist message preached by the Mombasa Republican Council has spread through mosques, churches, markets, coffee houses, text messages and Facebook. The Mombasa Republican Council wants the coast region, predominantly muslim, to have its own flag, currency and president. MRC supporters have threatened to boycott and disrupt voting in national elections if their demand for secession is not met by the authorities in Nairobi. In South Africa, the Auditor-General is on the front page of the financial paper, BusinessDay, and he is not a happy man. Yesterday, Terence Nombembe published his annual review of South Africa's municipal administrations. Only 5% of municipalities had clean audits, but worse, says Nombembe, local governments know they will get away with refusing to clean up their finances. The local government audit for 2010-11 paints a dismal picture, with the rand equivalent of over one billion euros evaporating in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Not one of the eight metropolitan areas received a clean audit, not even the City of Cape Town, which has had clean audits for the past two years. Nombembe said there was still an absence of consequences for poor performance and transgression. The biggest contributors to irregular spending were KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, while Free State came top of the wasteful expenditure listing. Meanwhile, the South African Reserve Bank has warned that both mining and manufacturing remain vulnerable to renewed weakness in the global economy. In its Annual Economic Report, released yesterday, the Reserve Bank said the current growth rate of 3% was "far below" what was required to reduce South Africa's unemployment rate, currently at over 25%. Although employment in manufacturing improved marginally in the first quarter of this year, following heavy investment by the Department of Trade and Industry in loans and grants, this was not sustainable without growth in the economy, the report says. Kenya: Voter Registration Process Faces DelayThe voter registration process ahead of next year's general election is facing undue delay after the electoral body rejected the lowest bidder's tender application for the Biometric Voter Registration kits. Capital FM, 19 July 2012 The process of registering voters ahead of the next general elections is facing undue delay after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declined to award the ... read more » Video
The Star, 18 July 2012 THE Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission will this week announce the winner of the multi-billion Biometric Voter Registration tender. read more » Kenya: IEBC Tender Team Quits Over Biometric Deal The Star, 16 July 2012 Uncertainty hangs over the process of awarding the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) solution kits contract after the IEBC tender committee stepped aside last week. The team quit ... read more » Kenya: IEBC Should Do the Right Thing On Tender (editorial) The Star, 16 July 2012 The tender committee of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission that was handling the award of a tender for the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) system resigned on ... read more » Kenya: PPOA Advises IEBC to Award Lowest Bidder The Star, 14 July 2012 THE Public Procurement Oversight Authority has now written to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission advising that the tender for the biometric voter registration kits ... read more » Kenya: Way Cleared for IEBC Sh3.4 Billion Tender The Star, 11 July 2012 The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission yesterday moved to forestall further fallout and possible law suits arising from the tender for the Sh3.4 billion electronic ... read more » Kenya: Three Billion Tender Above Board, Says IEBC Boss The Star, 9 July 2012 IEBC boss Ahmed Issack has admitted the delay in awarding the Biometric Voter Registration tender but denied foul play. Issack, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, ... read more » Kenya: IEBC to Award Sh3.4 Billion Voters' Roll Contract The Star, 17 June 2012 The winner of the multi-billion tender to supply the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission with Biometric Voter Registration kits and Automated Finger Identification System ... read more » Kenya: IEBC Tender Bidders Accuse Board of Falsifying Information The Star, 4 June 2012 The Independent Electoral Commission was yesterday put on the stop with accusations of impropriety in awarding of various tenders. read more » InFocus
COMMENTS: JeremyB Jul 18 2012, 06:45 Surely the IEBC cannot be serious about considering Face Technology ... not only are they Sh810.7 million above the IEBC budget but their history of voter enrolment projects is not fully mentioned in this article:- 1/.. In Ghana Face Technology caused a $3million (about Shs 6billion) loss to the National Social Security Fund. 2/.. In South Africa Face Technologies was awarded a contract to handle national identity cards but it took the intervention of the Prime Minister and the Finance Ministry to halt the project following allegations of underhand deals by some government officials. 3/.. In Zanzibar Face Technologies failed satisfactorily create an integrated national identity, election and voters' registration system and provide supporting hardware and software. A quick search of the web will give more details of the above mishandled projects - and more. The Star (Nairobi)Kenya: Signs of a Maturing Democracy All Around UsBy Star Editor, 21 July 2012 The media is often accused of sensationalism and of giving more attention to bad news than good. There may be some truth in that; but in any given week, there is plenty of good news to be found in our pages, if you will only look for it. Take the Friday, July 20 paper for example: On the cover is a photo of domestic workers who held a demonstration the previous day to demand better pay for themselves, as well as for the ratifying of a global convention on the terms and conditions for domestic work. Then there is also a report on the latest twists and turns of the complex National Hospital Insurance Fund saga, which has evolved into a tussle involving the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Minister for Medical Services, the NHIF board, the President and the Prime Minister. Turn the page and you see the prominent NGO Mars Group seeking to audit national revenue accounts for the last five years; Parliament seeking to speed up the passing of reform bills; and Law Society of Kenya asking the National Cohesion and Integration Commission for a status report on key political players accused of engaging in hate speech. What these reports have in common is that they all point to how far Kenya has come along the road to dismantling the imperial presidency which dominated the nation's affairs for the first three decades of independence. It is easily forgotten now that for many years past, much of the political activity revolved around the presidency. And that the only thing that really mattered was to get the attention of His Excellency. But now it is Parliament which determines the legislative agenda; and Kenya has an influential and varied non-governmental sector, which strives to monitor those in power, at every turn. Add to this the fact that barely a month passes, but we have some presidential decree revoked by the High Court for being unconstitutional, and you have all the proof you need that Kenya is indeed evolving into a mature democracy. |
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