The Electoral Commission (EC) has refuted claims of spending $150 million on Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) and Biometric Voter Registration Kits (BVRs) in 2020.
This response follows allegations made by Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, regarding the purported expenditure on BVDs by the election management body.
In a statement released on Friday, April 26, the EC clarified that the total cost for 74,500 BVDs, 8,500 BVRs, a new data center, and a data recovery center amounted to $68,661,912.67.
Furthermore, the EC highlighted that in June 2018, the previous administration budgeted $56 million for the refurbishment of BVDs and BVRs, along with enhancements to data centers and security measures. This investment was initially intended for the 2018 referendum and District Level Elections (DLE).
However, the current administration of the Commission decided to cancel the contract for total refurbishment and new BVD procurement, opting instead for minimal maintenance arrangements.
In 2020, based on experience gained from the 2019 DLE, the EC applied for and received approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to acquire new BVDs, BVRs, a Data Center, and a Data Recovery Center.
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