Dubai-based Printing Firm  Al Ghurair Denies Having Links with President Uhuru Kenyatta

Al Ghurair Print and Publishing Company Limited, the Dubai-based company hired to print August election ballot papers, has denied having any links to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

This emerged after the firm submitted papers in court on Tuesday to oppose a suit filed by the National Super Alliance (NASA) challenging its contract.

The affidavit by Al Ghurair stated that the officials who met with President Kenyatta were not from the ballot printing firm but from another company known as Al Ghurair Group that deals with iron, steel, real estate and investment.

“None of its (Al Ghurair Print and Publishing) staff, directors of shareholders have ever been to State House or have ever met the President” the affidavit read.

According to the Print and Publishing firm, it was Al Ghurair Group CEO Majid Saif who met with President Kenyatta.

The firm further explained that the name Al Ghurair is common in Dubai noting that it had supplied a number of voting materials to several countries including Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Central African Republic, Nepal, Haiti, Guinea, Libya, Madagascar, Iraq, Burundi, Egypt, Sudan, Sudan, South Sudan and even Rwanda.

“We have also worked closely with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in delivering election materials to countries where the UN body is providing electoral assistance," the firm highlighted.

Earlier on, NASA leaders had claimed that President Kenyatta met with one Mr Ghurair on two separate occasions; once in Dubai and the second time in Nairobi.

Details further show that the CEO was part of a delegation from Dubai that visited the President at State House late last year.

The NASA leaders, however, failed to substantiate their claims saying that they only received information on the details from a source.