The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ( IEBC) has suspended the tender for the supply and delivery of ballot papers and other election materials.
Acting IEBC Commission Secretary and CEO Ruth Kulundu said the decision followed an entity filing a request for review at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.
The tender covers supply of ballot papers, tactile folders, the register of voters and statutory election result declaration forms.
“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,” she said.
IEBC Suspends Tender to Supply Ballot Papers
The latest development comes weeks after the High Court temporarily halted further steps in the same tender following a challenge by Oilmax Ventures Limited.
On September 10, 2026, Justice William Musyoka, sitting in the Judicial Review Division at the Milimani Law Courts, issued orders staying the tender process after Oilmax challenged the procurement requirements.
The company had moved to court over a decision by the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board concerning IEBC Tender No. IEBC/OIT/02/2026–2027.
The tender seeks a supplier for ballot papers and other election materials required for the forthcoming General Election.
In directions issued on September 7, 2026, Justice Musyoka certified the matter as urgent and directed that it be heard during the ongoing High Court recess.
The judge also gave Oilmax Ventures three days to file and serve its substantive motion, while the respondents and interested parties were given seven days to respond.
“In the meantime, there shall be a stay, in terms of prayer 5 of the ex parte chamber summons for leave, dated 7th September 2026,” the court directed.
Also Read: Can IEBC Alter Constituency Presidential Results in 2027?
Court Halts Tender Amid Battle Over Bidders
Oilmax moved to court after the PPARB dismissed its request for review in a decision delivered on September 3, 2026.
While dismissing the bidder’s request on the substantive issues, the Board directed IEBC to clarify or amend the tender document on the acceptable form of tender security and extended the tender submission and opening deadline by at least seven days.
Oilmax had challenged several qualification requirements contained in the tender document, arguing that they unfairly restricted competition.
According to the company, the requirements relating to similar experience, financial capacity and financial capability could reduce the pool of eligible bidders to as few as two identified international suppliers.
The bidder particularly challenged a requirement under the similar-experience criteria that effectively required a company to have previously supplied at least 150 million security ballot papers under a single contract within the preceding five years.
Also Read: Who Will Check IEBC’s Presidential Result in 2027?
Oilmax argued that the requirement created an overly narrow qualification threshold and limited the number of companies capable of participating in the tender.
The company also raised concerns over what it considered an inconsistency between the restrictive experience requirement and the tender’s 40 per cent local content and local participation requirement.
It argued that although the tender provided for local participation, the qualification criteria effectively favoured a limited number of foreign suppliers, making it difficult for local entities to qualify.
Oilmax asked the High Court to quash the PPARB decision to the extent that it upheld the disputed requirements.
It also sought an order prohibiting IEBC from proceeding with the tender using the challenged criteria and an order compelling the electoral commission to reformulate the requirements.
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