The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has suspended a major tender for the supply of ballot papers and other critical election materials following a request for review filed at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB).
The commission said the suspension affects Tender No. IEBC/OIT/02/2026–2027, which covers the supply and delivery of ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters and statutory election results declaration forms ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Acting IEBC Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Ruth Kulundu said the procurement proceedings had been suspended until further notice following notification of a request for review at the procurement appeals body.
“Proceedings for the aforementioned tender have been suspended until further notice following a notification of request for Review filed at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board,” Kulundu said.
IEBC has not disclosed the identity of the entity that filed the latest request or the specific grounds raised in the review.
The development comes as the electoral commission accelerates preparations for the August 10, 2027 General Election, with the procurement of sensitive election materials forming a critical part of its logistical preparations.
What the tender covers
The disputed procurement is one of the commission’s major election-related tenders and includes materials that will be required at polling stations across the country.
The ballot papers will be used for the presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial, National Assembly, county woman representative and Member of County Assembly elections.
The tender also covers tactile folders designed to assist voters with visual disabilities, the Register of Voters and statutory forms used in the declaration of election results.
IEBC had advertised the tender in August 2026 as part of a wider procurement programme for the 2027 elections.
The commission’s tender documents set stringent technical, experience and financial requirements for prospective suppliers.
The scale of the procurement is significant, with IEBC projecting that the 2027 election could require about 168 million ballot papers, according to reporting on the tender documents.
Earlier challenge over tender requirementsThe latest suspension follows an earlier legal dispute involving the same procurement.
In September, Oilmax Ventures Limited moved to the High Court after challenging a decision of the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board over the tender.
Oilmax had contested several qualification requirements, including a condition requiring bidders to demonstrate previous experience in security ballot printing, including at least one contract involving 150 million ballot papers within the previous five years.
The company argued that the requirements could restrict competition and limit the number of companies capable of bidding for the contract.
The firm also questioned financial requirements contained in the tender, including the minimum turnover and working-capital thresholds for prospective suppliers.
The PPARB had dismissed Oilmax’s substantive objections but directed IEBC to clarify or amend the tender document concerning the acceptable form of tender security and extended the submission and opening deadline by at least seven days.
The matter subsequently reached the High Court, where Justice William Musyoka temporarily stayed further steps in the procurement pending determination of the judicial review proceedings.
The case was scheduled for further proceedings in October.
It is not yet clear from IEBC’s latest announcement whether the newly disclosed request for review is connected to the earlier court dispute or represents a separate challenge to the procurement.
Why the tender is important
Ballot-paper procurement is among the most sensitive aspects of election preparation because the materials must be produced securely, verified, packaged and distributed to polling stations before election day.
IEBC’s tender specifications include multiple security features intended to protect the integrity of the ballot papers and make counterfeiting or unauthorised reproduction more difficult.
Reported specifications include watermarks, ultraviolet-visible markings, anti-copy features, guilloche patterns, micro-text, unique QR codes and serial numbers.
The commission has also projected an increase in the number of polling stations and registered voters ahead of the 2027 polls, meaning the procurement will involve a large volume of materials.
Procurement challenges emerge ahead of 2027The ballot-paper tender is not the only major IEBC procurement process to face scrutiny.
A separate tender for the Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), hardware and related accessories has also faced a procurement challenge.
In that case, the PPARB directed IEBC to review aspects of the tender after finding deficiencies relating to technical specifications and evaluation criteria.
The two procurement processes cover some of the most important components of the 2027 election—the physical materials used by voters and the technology used to support electoral processes.
IEBC has previously defended its procurement processes, saying its technical specifications are performance-based and informed by Supreme Court directives, lessons from previous elections and feedback from field officers.
IEBC awaits procurement reviewFor now, the commission has advised prospective bidders to continue monitoring the Public Procurement Information Portal and IEBC’s official website for further communication concerning the tender.
No new date has been announced for the resumption of the suspended procurement proceedings.
The latest development places additional attention on IEBC’s election-preparation timetable, as the commission must complete procurement before production, verification, packaging and distribution of election materials can take place.
With the 2027 General Election scheduled for August 10, 2027, the resolution of procurement disputes will be closely watched as IEBC moves to put in place the materials and systems required for the polls.
