The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has begun procuring critical equipment and materials it will require to conduct the 2027 General Election.
The electoral agency has invited bids for the supply, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of the Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS), together with related hardware and accessories.
The tender, identified as IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027, is scheduled to close on September 1, 2026, at 10am East African Time. The procurement is being undertaken as the commission advances preparations for the next General Election, which is projected to have about 28.5 million registered voters.
IEBC is also seeking suppliers for ballot papers, tactile folders, the register of voters and statutory election results declaration forms.
The procurement of the materials comes as the commission continues implementing its broader election preparation programme. Its election operations plan includes the acquisition and deployment of electoral technology for the 2027 General Election, as well as subsequent configuration and distribution of KIEMS kits for voter registration and voter verification exercises.
The commission has specified financial requirements for firms seeking to participate in the tenders. Bidders for the elections management system are required to provide bid security of KSh30 million, while those seeking the ballot paper tender must submit security of KSh40 million.
Interested companies can obtain the tender documents from the IEBC Procurement Office at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi during working hours. The documents are also available for free through the commission’s official website and the Public Procurement Information Portal.
IEBC requires firms that download the documents to provide their contact details to the commission’s procurement office. This will allow the bidders to receive clarifications, amendments and other updates relating to the tenders.
Once completed, the bids must be sealed and submitted either to the Commission Secretary’s office or placed in the designated tender box at Anniversary Towers before the September 1 deadline.
The procurement process is part of preparations that will require the commission to have the necessary technology and election materials in place well ahead of polling day.
IEBC has already been undertaking voter registration activities ahead of the 2027 election. During the first phase of the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise conducted between March 30 and April 28, 2026, the commission deployed 5,390 KIEMS kits across 30,615 registration centres.
“The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) invites tenders from interested eligible bidders for the supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of the Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), hardware equipment and accessories until 1st September, 2026 at 10am East African Time,” IEBC stated.
The commission’s preparations are aimed at ensuring the technology used to identify voters and manage election processes is available, tested and supported before the country heads to the polls.
With the 2027 General Election approaching, the latest tenders signal an acceleration of logistical preparations for an election expected to involve millions of voters across the country.
