Africa-Press – Uganda. The Electoral Commission (EC) on Thursday received about 10 million ballot papers ahead of January 14, 2021, presidential polls.
Printed by the United Printing and Publishing of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the consignment came aboard Etihad Airways which landed at Entebbe International Airport around noon.
EC boss Justice Simon Byabakama, accompanied by commissioners Nathaline Etomaru and Steven Tashyobya as well as a technical team received the consignment of 10,108,400 ballot papers.
EC awarded a tender to print ballot papers to five foreign firms at an estimated cost of close to sh200b.
The firms are Tall Security Printers (UK), Uniprint (South Africa), United Printing and Publishing (Abu Dhabi), Adare Sec Ltd (UK) and Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company (Dubai).
The United Printing and Publishing of Abu Dhabi is printing ballot papers for presidential candidates and the directly-elected Members of Parliament.
Dubai based Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing is printing ballot papers for district woman members of Parliament, district/city woman councillors and sub-county/town/municipal division woman councillors.
South Africa based Uniprint is printing ballot papers of district/city chairpersons, district/city directly-elected councillors, municipality/city division chairpersons, municipality/city division women councillors.
The UK based Tall Security Print is printing ballot papers for municipality directly-elected councillors, special interest groups at district, municipality and sub-county level.
Another UK firm Adare Sec Ltd is printing ballot papers sub-county/town/municipal division chairpersons, sub-county/town/municipal division directly elected councillors.
