IEBC denies malpractice in procuring election management system

• The tender covers the supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of the Integrated Elections Management System, including hardware equipment and accessories.

IEBC Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana during a past press address. PHOTO | COURTESY

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has dismissed claims of a plan to illegally procure the Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS) for the 2027 General Election.

IEBC Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana said that the Commission is lawfully abiding by all election preparedness requirements and the procurement of the technology is done under a tender process.

During the NCIC National Stakeholders Conference on Peace Ahead of the 2027 Elections on Monday, he argued that the Commission is being frustrated by political detractors, assuring that the procurement will be done in apt time within the stipulated timelines.

"Some people are saying we are running out of time in terms of technology. We still have 120 days to do that, and another 60 days to run simulations. So, don’t worry, we are not out of the legal timelines," he said.

"Some have gone to court, but as IEBC, we are willing to amend, and we accept when we are wrong. We have agreed to comply and put the tender out. But the same individuals have moved to the High Court. Their intention is to delay us."

He called on the Judiciary to fast-track cases delaying the procurement process, saying that stalling court processes will delay IEBC's ambition to run a seamless electoral process.

"We plead with the Judiciary, please, when some of these cases come up, speed them up so that we can get the technology procured and avoid intentional delay. We are cooking nothing apart from what you can see," he said.

This comes as the Commission admitted that its tender for a new elections management system contains an error, revealing that it mistakenly required bidders to provide performance security equivalent to 20 per cent of the contract price.

IEBC said it has since identified the mistake, noting that the law caps performance security at 10 per cent of the contract price.

The admission came as the commission fights a challenge against the tender for the Integrated Elections Management System, which was advertised on August 11.

The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board later ordered IEBC to review and amend the tender identified as IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027.

It covers the supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of the IEMS, including hardware equipment and accessories.

Meanwhile, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that insiders from the commission have revealed to him that Chairman Erastus Ethekon and his Vice Chair Fahima Abdallah are determined to force MIRU Systems Technology from South Korea by awarding them the supply tender.

Kenya procured its Integrated Election Management System (IEMS) from Venezuela's Smartmatic International Holding B.V. in 2022.