Nairobi, September 4- The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been directed to make changes to its tender for the technology expected to support the 2027 General Election after the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board raised concerns over sections of the bidding document.
The decision relates to tender IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027, which seeks a supplier for the delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of the Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), as well as its maintenance, technical support, hardware and accessories.
The procurement was challenged by Galadirel Investment Limited, which raised objections over various aspects of the tender.
After reviewing the case, the Procurement Review Board determined that some requirements and evaluation criteria in the tender lacked sufficient clarity, certainty and objectivity. It said the shortcomings could affect the principles of fairness, transparency, equality and competitiveness required in public procurement.
Rather than cancelling the tender, the Board instructed IEBC to correct and clarify the disputed sections before issuing a revised tender document.
Once the amended document is published, prospective bidders must be given at least seven days to review the changes and prepare their submissions.
One of the key areas flagged by the Board involves provisions relating to ownership of hardware and technology, alongside other requirements whose wording was considered unclear.
The Board also allowed IEBC to seek technical assistance from the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) during the review process. However, it clarified that PPRA should not determine the technical specifications of the Integrated Elections Management System, as that responsibility remains with IEBC.
The ruling comes as the electoral commission steps up preparations for the 2027 General Election, including procurement of technology and other election materials.
A separate IEBC tender covers ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters and statutory election-result declaration forms. Bids for that procurement closed on September 1, 2026, and had proceeded to the evaluation stage.
The latest ruling therefore delays the technology tender process but does not bring the procurement to an end, allowing IEBC to proceed once the identified issues have been addressed.
