Fresh questions have emerged over the procurement of election technology for the 2027 General Election after an aggrieved bidder challenged the process involving South Korean company Miru Systems.
The concerns come as former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua separately accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of preparing to award Miru Systems a major election technology contract before the conclusion of the procurement process.
According to Thursday's Daily Nation, the aggrieved bidder raised concerns with a public procurement watchdog, alleging that the tender requirements had been tailored to favour Miru Systems.
The newspaper reported that the dispute has placed greater scrutiny on the procurement process, with IEBC rejecting claims that it had designed the tender to benefit the South Korean firm.
The controversy centres on an IEBC tender for the supply, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of an Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), together with associated hardware, equipment and accessories.
The tender, identified as IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027, was advertised on August 11 and is scheduled to close on September 1, 2026. Gachagua has questioned how the commission could allegedly have settled on a preferred supplier while the competitive process remains open.
Gachagua has also demanded that IEBC disclose how the technical specifications were developed. He wants the commission to publish documents, including internal committee minutes, technical working papers, market surveys and approval records, to demonstrate that the requirements were not crafted around the capabilities of one company.
The Democracy for Citizens Party leader has further raised concerns about replacing the existing election technology less than a year before the 2027 polls. He warned that transferring voter information from the current Smartmatic Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) infrastructure to a new platform could create security and voter-register risks.
Gachagua has also questioned Miru Systems' record in other jurisdictions, citing reported controversies involving election technology deployments in countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, Iraq and Zambia. His claims about the company's international record and the alleged procurement irregularities remain allegations and have not been established as facts.
IEBC, however, has rejected the suggestion that the procurement is designed to favour Miru Systems, maintaining that there is no evidence demonstrating preferential treatment.
The emerging dispute is likely to intensify scrutiny of IEBC as political parties and other stakeholders begin focusing on the technological preparations for the 2027 election.
The commission faces pressure to demonstrate that the procurement is transparent, competitive and compliant with public procurement rules while ensuring that any new election technology is adequately tested before the country goes to the polls.