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Al Ghurair official addressing Kenyans. Photo: Nation
The tight security features of the presidential ballot paper that will bear Raila and Uhuru’s names
Dubai-based printing firm says it has put in plans stringent measures to ensure no rigging cases will be reported after the August 8 polls – The company, through its Manager says the materials used to make the ballot papers will make it hard for anyone to photocopy Presidential ballot papers will arrive in the country on Monday, July 30 2017, just nine days to the August 8 General Election. As reported earlier the printing of the ballot papers, done by Dubai-based printing company Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC was completed on Thursday, July 27, night. The ballot papers, unlike those used in the previous elections have a number of security features that will make rigging an uphill task.
For starters, the Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing company’s compound is monitored round the clock on closed-circuit television cameras. The ballot papers will come with relevant security features that would make it impossible to photocopy.
Al Ghurair official explaining a point. Photo: Nation
Unlike the usual bond papers used for most ballot papers ,the Kenyan presidential ballot papers does not reflect ultraviolet light, which increases the visibility of the security features embedded in them.
The ballot papers have random ultraviolet fibres that are mixed up with wood pulp. “These security features are in the raw material. It takes four to eight weeks to get this paper manufactured,” Mr Ganapathy , who is the general manager of Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC told a delegation from Kenya at the firm’s headquarters in Dubai.The papers are also said to be manufactured with a watermark embedded. The watermark can only be visible when the ballot papers are held up to the light the same way one can see the watermark on a currency note.
These, the printing firm say are just but a few measures that the have put in place to ensure that they have curbed rigging in Kenya’s 2017 General Election.
