Preparations for elections can begin.

Preparations for the upcoming general and local government elections can now go ahead following a high court ruling which rejected a case brought against the electoral commission of Kenya over a Ksh 450 million contract awarded for the supply and distribution the ballot papers. The process had stalled after South African printing firm Lithotech Exports, which lost the bid to another South African company, Universal Print Group, and Smith and Ouzman Ltd of the United Kingdom earlier this year, filed a case against the electoral commission of Kenya (ECK) in September claiming that the contract had been unfairly awarded. However, the court dismissed the application on technical grounds, paving the way for arrangements to begin. In December over 14 million Kenyans out of a total population of 36.9 million will be called to elect their president and parliamentary and local government representatives. No date has yet been set for the ballot.