IEBC gives elections management kit tender to Netherlands firm

The Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kit. [David Gichuru, Standard]

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has awarded the Sh4 billion Kenya Integrated Election Management Systems (Kiems) kit tender to Smartmatic International Holding B.V.

IEBC awarded the tender to the Dutch firm on Wednesday even as Risk Africa Innovatis Limited gave notice that they were moving to the Court of Appeal to challenge the same. 

Smartmatic International Holding B.V alongside four other companies - Indra Soluciones Tecnologias De La Informacion, Genkey Solutions BV, Laxton Group Ltd and Africa Infrastructure Development Company submitted bids for the tender.

Kiems kit tender includes the supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of software and hardware equipment and accessories.

Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB) on September 20 asked IEBC to prepare fresh tender documents within 30 days for the Kiems kit for the tender No: IEBC/OIT/001/21/2020/2021.

“The procuring entity is hereby directed to prepare a fresh tender document within 30 days from the date of this decision, taking into consideration the provisions of the Constitution of Kenya, the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, the Public Procurement and Disposal and Asset Disposal Regulations, 2020 and the findings of the Board in this review,” read the ruling in part.

The company got a reprieve after High Court Judge Jairus Ngaah ruled that PPARB misapprehended Section 2 of the Act on who ‘a candidate’ is and whether the 2nd interested party was such a candidate capable of instituting a request for review before it under section 167(1) of the Act.