The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has suspended the tender for the supply and delivery of ballot papers and other critical election materials until further notice.
The commission says the move follows a request for review filed at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board by an entity it has not named. The affected tender covers ballot papers, tactile folders for voters with visual disabilities, the register of voters, and statutory election result declaration forms.
Acting IEBC Commission Secretary and CEO Ruth Kulundu confirmed the suspension in a statement: "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." The commission did not disclose the identity of the party behind the review request or the grounds on which it was filed.
The suspension comes as the IEBC ramps up preparations for the 2027 General Election, including procurement of technology and other election materials. It adds to a growing list of election-related contracts facing scrutiny or delay as the commission works against the clock to secure everything needed for polling day.
The IEBC has previously stressed that timely procurement is critical, since election materials require extensive production, verification, transportation, and distribution before elections. Ballot papers, among the most sensitive materials involved, must be quantified based on the number of registered voters and electoral areas, while the voter register is essential for determining who is eligible to vote.
Under procurement law, a request for review before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board halts the process while the dispute is being considered. The IEBC has asked prospective bidders to monitor official channels for updates: "Prospective bidders are advised to regularly monitor the Public Procurement Information Portal and the Commission's website for any further updates or communication regarding the tender," Kulundu said. No new date has been given for the tender to resume.
With elections roughly 10 months away, the timing of the suspension is likely to draw attention given the limited window remaining for producing and distributing materials nationwide. The commission will need to await the outcome of the review before determining its next steps.
What the Tender Involves
The IEBC is seeking ballot papers designed to resist counterfeiting, copying, and substitution. For the 2027 polls, the commission estimates it could require up to 180 million ballot papers across six elective positions, with polling stations projected to rise from 46,229 in 2022 to roughly 55,000, and registered voters expected to reach 28.4 million.
Seven ballot types are planned, including a possible referendum ballot: presidential ballots on a white background, National Assembly ballots in green, MCA ballots in brown, Senate ballots in yellow, county woman representative ballots in purple, gubernatorial ballots in sky blue, and referendum ballots in grey. Candidates' passport photos and referendum symbols must measure at least 20mm by 20mm.
Planned security features include a watermark embedded during manufacturing, an IEBC logo visible only under ultraviolet light, and anti-copy technology designed to reveal the word "Copy" if a ballot is photocopied or scanned. The papers will also carry guilloche patterns (complex, hard-to-replicate line designs), micro-text, embossing, unique QR codes with variable data, tapered serial numbers in multi-coloured ink, and perforation.
Ballot dimensions will vary depending on the number of candidates contesting each seat, with presidential and gubernatorial ballots ranging from A4 size for smaller fields to larger formats for bigger ones, and similar scaling for Senate, National Assembly, woman representative, and MCA ballots. Each ballot booklet will contain enough papers to match the number of registered voters at its polling station.
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