IEBC opens bids for ballot papers and system for 2027 election - millions firms will pay

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has opened two international tenders for the supply of key materials and technology to be used in preparations for the 2027 General Election.

In a notice, IEBC announced that one of the tenders covers the supply, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of the Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), hardware equipment and accessories.

The second covers the supply and delivery of ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters and statutory election result declaration forms.

The tenders come as the Commission steps up preparations for the August 10, 2027 General Election, with the two procurement processes covering technology and election materials that will be central to the conduct of the polls.

Under the first tender, the Commission is seeking a supplier for the Integrated Elections Management System, together with the required hardware and accessories.

The tender also covers installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of the system.

The deadline for this tender is September 1, 2026, at 10am East African Time.

The second tender covers the supply and delivery of ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters and statutory election result declaration forms.

Bids for the second tender must be submitted by September 1, 2026, at noon East African Time.

Companies seeking to participate in the procurement will also be required to provide substantial bid security.

For the IEMS tender, bidders must provide a KSh30 million bid security, while those bidding for the ballot papers and other election materials tender must provide KSh40 million.

The security must be issued by a reputable financial institution, insurance company or through a banker's cheque payable to IEBC.

The bid securities must remain valid for 270 days after the bid submission deadline.

The Commission said interested eligible tenderers can inspect the tender documents at the IEBC Procurement Office on the fifth floor of Anniversary Towers during normal working hours.

Tender documents can also be downloaded free of charge from the IEBC website or the Public Procurement Information Portal.

Firms that download the documents have been directed to submit their particulars to the IEBC procurement office by email before the closing date to facilitate communication on any tender clarifications and addenda.

Completed bids are to be submitted in sealed envelopes bearing the relevant tender reference number and addressed to the IEBC Commission Secretary/CEO, or deposited in the tender box at the fifth-floor reception of Anniversary Towers in Nairobi.

The Commission said late bids will be rejected. According to IEBC, the opening of the first tender will take place immediately after the 10am deadline at the 21st-floor conference room at Anniversary Towers, while the second tender will be opened at the 15th-floor conference room.

The latest procurement comes following earlier plans by the electoral commission to upgrade its election technology ahead of the 2027 polls.

In its preparations presented to Parliament in 2025, IEBC projected a budget of KSh61.74 billion for the General Election spread across three financial years, including KSh15.3 billion for 2025/26, KSh25.4 billion for 2026/27 and KSh21 billion for 2027/28.

The Commission had also projected the registration of an additional 5.7 million voters, while planning to increase the number of polling stations from 46,229 in 2022 to 55,393 for the 2027 election.

It had further planned to procure new Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits, with the 2025 plan putting the cost at about KSh7 billion for replacing older kits bought in 2017.

The new IEMS tender now places the acquisition of election management technology and its associated hardware, installation and maintenance among the Commission's ongoing procurement processes.

However, the country’s electoral agency is staring at a KSh33.5 billion funding shortfall one year to the 2027 General Election that could affect the payment of election officials, acquisition of technology and expansion of polling infrastructure.

Documents submitted to Parliament by IEBC, chaired by Erastus Ethekon, show that the Commission is seeking KSh74.8 billion over the three-year electoral cycle but has been allocated only KSh41.3 billion.

The payment of election officials is among the areas likely to be affected, with the commission requiring KSh7.63 billion for the exercise.

The electoral body has also accumulated KSh5.75 billion in pending bills, largely made up of legal fees arising from previous elections.

The procurement notice also comes days after IEBC gazetted new campaign financing regulations ahead of the 2027 election.

The regulations set out requirements governing campaign contributions, expenditure, financial records, reporting and auditing by candidates and political parties.

Also, the new framework set spending limits for the different elective positions, including a maximum presidential campaign expenditure limit of KSh6.1 billion, according to the information provided by the Commission.

IEBC is constitutionally mandated to regulate the amount of money that may be spent by or on behalf of a candidate or party in respect of an election.

The Commission continues to publish election-related regulations, notices and procurement information through its official channels.