Why halting of technology procurement puts 2027 poll calender in jeopardy

The temporary halting of the procurement of election technology by IEBC amid claims of a plot to rig the 2027 general elections by the opposition now risks delaying or altering the date of the general elections.

Kenyans are now staring at the possibility of the electoral calendar, recently released by IEBC, being disrupted following the announcement that the electoral commission has temporarily suspended the procurement of critical materials for the 2027 General Election  following a request for review filed before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.

Should the review not be concluded within the stipulated 14 days and a legal battle ensues, the development could force the IEBC to alter its elections calendar to reflect the realities on the ground.

Through a statement dated August 20, the commission said the affected procurement processes include those for election technology and ballot papers, two key components of the electoral process. According to the Commission’s Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, the procurement was halted pending the determination of the request for review lodged at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.

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.

With the procurement process already proving controversial even before the tender is awarded to a particular firm, all indications are that the electoral agency will have to move with speed to address concerns raised over the tendering process to ensure it abides by the set electoral timelines.

Yesterday, Democracy for Citizens party (DCP) leader alleged a plan to rig the 2027 General Election, claiming South Korean firm Miru Systems Co. Ltd is at the centre of a predetermined procurement process.

In a televised address ahead of his trip to the United States, Gachagua accused IEBC Chairman Erastus Ethekon and Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdallah of being behind an orchestrating a bogus tender process to award the Integrated Election Management System (IEMS) contract to Miru.

"The tender process and results have already been preconceived and is awaiting rubber stamping," Gachagua alleged, describing the ongoing procurement as "a mundane public relations exercise to manage other bidders and 55 million Kenyans."

It now falls on IEBC to come clean and reassure the public that the tendering process was above board and that the election technology to be deployed ahead of 2027 elections would not alter the outcome of the high-stakes polls.

According to critical timelines contained in IEBC's electoral calendar, Political parties now have until October 15, 2026, to submit the names of authorized persons and specimen signatures to the Commission. Nomination rules must also be certified by the Registrar of Political Parties by October 30, 2026, and submitted to IEBC by November 6.

Effectively, public officers seeking elective positions will be required to resign from office by February 10, 2027.

The electoral agency also mandates that parties must submit their membership lists and details of their primary elections by March 16, 2027, with all party primaries and related internal disputes slated to be concluded by May 8. Independent candidates will also be required to submit their names and symbols by May 8.

A key provision is also that Presidential aspirants must submit at least 2,000 signatures from registered voters in a majority of counties by May 24, 2027, whereas candidate registration will take place between May 29 and June 11, 2027, with the process according to the elective position.

Presidential candidates will be registered between May 29 and June 11, while National Assembly candidates will undergo registration between May 29 and June 1.

Senatorial candidates will be registered between May 29 and June 2, Governors between June 3 and June 6, County Assembly Ward candidates between June 2 and June 11, and County Woman Representative candidates between June 7 and June 11.

“Any disputes arising from candidate nominations must be filed within 24 hours, and no later than June 12. The disputes must be resolved by June 23,” adds the notice.

Ethekon also emphasized that the official campaign period will begin on May 29, 2027, and will end on August 7, three days before the polls. He, however, warned against campaigning outside the prescribed period, including the use of posters and billboards.

Telling, however, was the announcement by IEBC that procurement of technology and ballot papers has temporarily been halted as the tenders undergo review.

The Commission said a recent High Court judgment interpreting the constitutional timing of the next election had been suspended pending the 2027 polls, allowing preparations to continue on schedule.

The halting came just a week after IEBC announced that it had officially opened the tendering process for the multi-billion-shilling election technology and materials.

The electoral agency issued two major international tenders seeking suppliers for an Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), hardware and accessories, ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters and statutory election result declaration forms.

Under the first tender, IEBC is seeking a contractor to supply, deliver, install, test, commission, support and maintain the Integrated Elections Management System and associated hardware and accessories.

The successful bidder will be expected to provide the infrastructure required by the commission as it prepares for the management of the electoral process.

The tender has been opened to qualified local and international firms through an open competitive international procurement process.

The second tender by IEBC is for the supply and delivery of ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters and statutory election result declaration forms. The materials will be supplied on an “as and when required” basis for three years, covering the 2027 election cycle and other electoral requirements during the contract period.

The gazettement of the electoral calendar, however, comes under a cloud of intense political scrutiny, as opposition leaders have in the recent past criticized the commission’s adherence to the electoral timelines and the process’s transparency.

Critics have argued that delayed procurement risks system failures and a rushed rollout of the voter identification and results transmission systems.