NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 20- The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has temporarily halted the procurement of critical materials for the 2027 General Election following a request for review filed before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.
The commission said the affected procurement processes include those for election technology and ballot papers, two key components of the electoral process.
In a statement issued on Thursday, IEBC said it had commenced preparations for the 2027 General Election after provision was made for the election budget in the 2026/2027 financial year.
“The Commission, with the provision of General Election budget in the current financial year 2026-2027, is in the process of procuring General Election materials,” the commission said.
However, the procurement of election technology and ballot papers has been temporarily suspended pending the determination of the request for review lodged at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.
The development comes as the electoral commission steps up preparations for the 2027 polls, with the acquisition of election materials forming a critical part of its readiness plan.
Despite the temporary halt, IEBC said procurement of other strategic and non-strategic election materials was progressing as planned.
“The procurement of several other strategic and non-strategic materials is on course and expected to be concluded in good time for the General Election,” the commission said.
The commission did not disclose the party that filed the request for review or provide details of the issues raised in the procurement dispute.
The procurement of ballot papers and election technology is expected to remain a key area of scrutiny as IEBC prepares for the 2027 General Election, particularly given the central role of technology in voter identification, results transmission and other aspects of election management.
IEBC has previously maintained that timely procurement of election materials is essential to ensuring adequate preparation and avoiding last-minute logistical challenges ahead of polling day.
On Aug 11th,IEBC announced it has begun the procurement of critical election technology and materials, less than a year to the 2027 General Election, in a move that puts preparations for the polls into high gear.
The electoral agency has issued two major international tenders seeking suppliers for an Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), hardware and accessories, as well as ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters and statutory election result declaration forms.
Under the first tender, IEBC sought a contractor to supply, deliver, install, test, commission, support and maintain the Integrated Elections Management System and associated hardware and accessories.
The tender had been opened to qualified local and international firms through an open competitive international procurement process.
Interested bidders were given access to the tender documents free of charge through the IEBC website and the Public Procurement Information Portal.
The commission had set a Sh30 million tender security requirement, which must be issued by a reputable financial institution or insurance company, or be in the form of a banker’s cheque payable to IEBC.
In a separate procurement process, IEBC had invited tenders for the supply and delivery of ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters and statutory election result declaration forms.
The tender carried a Sh40 million security requirement, with the security also required to remain valid for 270 days after the bid submission deadline.
