The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB) has ordered the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to revise its tender for a new Integrated Elections Management System after finding shortcomings in the procurement documents.
The decision follows a challenge filed by Galadirel Investment Limited, which disputed aspects of the procurement process, including requirements on hardware and technology ownership and the criteria to be used in evaluating bids.
The contested tender, identified as IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027, covers the supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of an Integrated Elections Management System, including hardware equipment and accessories.
In its decision, the Board found that some provisions of the tender were not sufficiently clear to guide prospective bidders or ensure an objective and transparent evaluation of the submitted bids.
The Board directed the IEBC to undertake a review of the tender document and make the necessary corrections before issuing a new version.
Upon completing the review, the IEBC must “issue and publish a new and compliant Tender Document” and give prospective tenderers the period prescribed by law to consider the amendments and prepare their bids.
The Board specified that the period granted to bidders must be at least seven days.
The procurement watchdog also said the IEBC would be at liberty to seek advice and technical assistance from the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) under Section 9(1)(g) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act.
Such assistance may cover the deficiencies and areas requiring clarification identified by the Board in its decision.
The Board Secretary was further directed to forward a copy of the decision to the Director-General of the PPRA for information, monitoring and any further action deemed necessary under the Authority's statutory mandate.
The ruling comes days after the IEBC acknowledged an error in the same tender relating to the amount of performance security required from the successful bidder.
The commission had required successful bidders to provide performance security equivalent to 20 per cent of the contract value, despite the applicable legal limit being 10 per cent.
The IEBC said it had identified the error and was preparing an addendum to correct the requirement, while maintaining that the procurement process itself remained valid.
The latest Board decision, however, requires the commission to go beyond correcting the performance-security provision and revise other aspects of the tender that the Board found unclear or deficient.
The system is expected to support key electoral functions and forms part of the IEBC's preparations to strengthen its elections infrastructure ahead of future electoral processes.
