Kenya · Elections
Six companies bid to supply Kenya’s 2027 voting technology, and a former attorney general is urging the election commission to follow the procurement rules to the letter.
Justin Muturi, a former Kenyan attorney general who now leads the Democratic Party of Kenya, has warned the national election commission against shortcuts in choosing a voting-technology supplier for the 2027 general election. Six companies bid, with prices from US$11.5 million to US$171.8 million, according to Citizen Digital on 23 October and The Standard on 14 November (both Kenyan news outlets).
The commission, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which runs Kenya’s elections, has not been quoted responding to Muturi in those reports. The price gap of about US$160 million (US$171.8 million minus US$11.5 million) means the way the bids are scored will matter to Kenyan taxpayers and to trust in the vote.
Key Facts
- The warning Justin Muturi, Democratic Party of Kenya leader, urged the IEBC to avoid procurement shortcuts.
- The tender Six bids opened on 22 October 2026 to supply the Integrated Elections Management System, the election technology hardware, for 2027.
- The range From US$11.5 million (bidder Greencom) to US$171.8 million (bidder Haitek), about 1.5 billion to 22.3 billion Kenyan shillings (KSh).
- The rule Evaluation, not opening prices, decides the winner; Muturi says the lowest quote should not win automatically.
- Not known The IEBC’s reply to Muturi and the date of any award.
What Muturi Wants From the Commission
Muturi asked the IEBC to publish the tender-opening register, apply the same evaluation standards to every bidder and document its technical and financial scoring, The Standard reported on 14 November. He also asked it to notify all bidders at the same time and to respect the mandatory standstill period, the legal waiting time between naming a winner and signing a contract.
On direct procurement, which means buying from one supplier without competition, Muturi said that having supplied the commission before is not by itself a ground for it, Citizen Digital reported on 23 October. He argued that six competing bids show several suppliers can deliver.
Muturi also warned against review applications filed mainly to delay the process, while accepting that bidders have a right to challenge a decision (Citizen Digital, 23 October). He added that the lowest quotation should not automatically decide the winner (The Standard, 14 November).
The Six Bids
The tender, reference IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027, covers the supply, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of the hardware and accessories of the Integrated Elections Management System. Citizen Digital listed the six bids on 23 October, with shilling values that imply an exchange rate of about KSh130 per US dollar.
Bids as reported on 23 October 2026
- Greencom Enterprise Solutions US$11.5 million (about KSh1.5 billion), the lowest bid.
- Laxton US$79.3 million (about KSh10.3 billion).
- China Hainergy New Energy Corporation US$96.2 million (about KSh12.5 billion).
- Miru US$107.8 million (about KSh14.3 billion).
- Smartmatic US$148 million (about KSh19.3 billion), a voting-technology company.
- Haitek Limited US$171.8 million (about KSh22.3 billion), the highest bid.
How the Tender Got Here
The IEBC advertised the tender on 11 August, according to Citizen Digital on 14 September. We covered the opening of the tenders in our earlier report on the IEBC tenders, and more is in our Kenya news section.
On 4 September, Citizen Digital reported that the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board, the state panel that hears tender appeals, partly upheld a complaint by Galadirel Investment Limited, a firm that challenged the tender document. The board ordered the IEBC to amend the document and to give bidders no less than seven days to respond.
The commission also admitted an error: the document asked for performance security of 20% of the contract price, while the law caps it at 10%, Citizen Digital reported on 26 August. IEBC commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana spoke about the timetable on 14 September.
What It Means for Kenyan Voters
The contract covers equipment for the Integrated Elections Management System, which includes biometric devices (Citizen Digital, 23 October), so both price and process matter. The highest bid is about 15 times the lowest (US$171.8 million against US$11.5 million, Citizen Digital, 23 October), and Muturi asked that price be weighed alongside the eligibility and qualification requirements.
A bidder that believes the process was flawed can go back to the review board, as Galadirel did in August, which can slow the process. Muturi’s call for a published register and written evaluations is aimed at making any award harder to challenge.
The IEBC has argued the opposite risk. Mukhwana rejected claims of an illegal procurement on 14 September, saying the commission has 120 days to procure and a further 60 days to run simulations, and that those pursuing court cases against it intend to delay the commission (Citizen Digital, 14 September).
What Is Not Known
The reports do not carry an IEBC response to Muturi’s demands, and none gives a date for finishing the evaluation or naming a winner. We found no scheduled hearing or decision date to point to, so we are not listing one.
The bid prices alone do not show who will win, because the evaluation is still to come. The IEBC had not published the tender-opening register in the reports we read.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Justin Muturi?
Justin Muturi is a former Kenyan attorney general and the leader of the Democratic Party of Kenya, according to The Standard on 14 November 2026. He has urged the IEBC to follow procurement rules in the voting-technology tender.
How many companies bid for the IEBC tender?
Six companies bid, according to Citizen Digital on 23 October 2026. Prices ran from US$11.5 million to US$171.8 million.
Does the lowest bid win automatically?
Not by rule, according to Muturi, who urged the IEBC not to award it automatically to the lowest quote (The Standard, 14 November). The winner is decided after evaluation.
What is the IEBC?
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is the body that runs elections in Kenya, including the 2027 general election. It is the body now buying the voting technology.
Sources: The Standard, 14 November 2026 (Muturi warns IEBC against shortcuts); Citizen Digital, 23 October 2026 (Muturi urges IEBC to fast-track ballot paper tender); Citizen Digital, 14 September 2026 (IEBC denies malpractice); Citizen Digital, 4 September 2026 (IEBC ordered to review and amend tender). Read 14 November 2026.
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