IEBC Ordered to Amend Elections System Tender After Procurement Board Flags Flaws

IEBC Ordered to Amend Elections System Tender After Procurement Board Flags Flaws

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been ordered to amend sections of its tender for a new Integrated Elections Management System after the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB) identified flaws in the procurement documents.

The decision follows a challenge to the tender issued by the electoral commission in August, with the procurement board examining concerns raised over the requirements for hardware and technology ownership and the criteria to be used when evaluating bids.

In its ruling, PPARB found that some sections of the tender documents were not sufficiently clear to enable bidders to understand the requirements or ensure that bids would be assessed objectively.

The board warned that unclear procurement requirements could undermine key principles governing public procurement, including transparency, fairness, equality and competitiveness.

Instead of cancelling the tender, the procurement board directed IEBC to correct the disputed provisions and publish an amended tender document.

The commission was also directed to give prospective bidders at least seven days to review the amendments and prepare or adjust their bids before the procurement process continues.

PPARB further allowed IEBC to seek technical assistance from the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) as it works on the required amendments.

The ruling adds another layer of scrutiny to the planned elections technology procurement, which has attracted public and political attention ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The proposed Integrated Elections Management System forms part of the commission’s preparations for the next national elections, with the wider technology procurement reportedly valued at approximately Ksh6.5 billion.

The latest development comes days after IEBC acknowledged another error in its tender documents concerning performance security.

The commission had initially required the successful bidder to provide performance security equivalent to 20% of the contract value, despite the applicable legal limit being 10%.

IEBC said it had identified the mistake and was preparing an addendum to correct the requirement, while maintaining that the procurement process itself remained valid.

The commission has also rejected claims that the tender was designed to favour a particular company.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has, however, raised concerns over the procurement, alleging that IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon and Vice Chairperson Fahima Abdallah were involved in efforts to award the contract to a South Korean company.

IEBC has not accepted the allegations and has maintained that the procurement was neither predetermined nor awarded to any specific bidder.

Gachagua previously called for the tender to be withdrawn, arguing that the time remaining before the 2027 polls may not be sufficient to introduce, test and fully deploy a new elections management system.

He instead advocated for improvements to the existing electoral technology, while questioning whether the proposed procurement could create risks for the credibility of the electoral process.

The procurement board’s decision does not cancel the IEBC tender but requires the commission to address the identified shortcomings before proceeding.

The commission will now have to amend the disputed provisions, publish the revised tender and allow potential bidders additional time to consider the changes.

The development comes at a critical stage in preparations for the 2027 elections, when IEBC is expected to ensure that its procurement processes meet legal requirements while delivering reliable technology for voter registration, election management and results processing.

The latest ruling is therefore likely to keep the commission’s technology plans under close public scrutiny as preparations for the next General Election gather pace.

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IEBC Ordered to Amend Elections System Tender After Procurement Board Flags Flaws