Kenya National Lottery Board plans lottery tender by end-2026
Tenders & awards2 min read
In brief
- Kenya's National Lottery Board expects to issue an international lottery tender by the end of 2026, chair Farida Karoney said.
- The board would pick an operator through Kenya's procurement process, with a working lottery targeted by the end of 2027.
- The proposed lottery would allow online and physical participation, with proceeds funding community development, sport, research and social investment.
Kenya's National Lottery Board plans to invite international bids for a national lottery, with chair Farida Karoney saying she expects the tender to be issued by the end of 2026. The board would then select an operator through Kenya's procurement process, according to Karoney.
Karoney said the proposed lottery would allow both online and physical participation, and that proceeds would support national public-benefit initiatives, including community development, sport, research and social investment. She said the lottery would reflect Kenya's priorities while drawing on international models.
The successful operator would be required to establish a base in Kenya, install the necessary technology and hire personnel before ticket sales begin. Karoney said she expects a working lottery by the end of the 2027 calendar year, while acknowledging that these stages will take time.
The board is additionally carrying out a survey across the country to gauge public sentiment on the proposed lottery, including which games people favour and their likely spending levels. Karoney expects the findings to be ready ahead of the operator tender, and she said they could prove valuable to other players in the gaming industry.
A transaction-advisory consortium was named by the board in August to prepare contracts and tender documents. The two firms making up the consortium are RSM Eastern Africa and QLOT Consulting from Sweden, and they advise the board on procurement procedure.
Karoney said the National Lottery Act came into force in December 2023. Her own appointment as chair followed in August 2024, while the remaining directors joined later that year. The board has put an enterprise management system in place, drawn up its strategy and set up a human resources framework. Hiring for the rest of the staff is expected to get under way in late December or early January, with the goal of having the management team complete before the end of 2026.