Kenya's National Lottery Board is working toward having a national lottery in operation by the end of 2027, according to chair Farida Karoney. The timetable depends on completing an international operator tender, onboarding the successful bidder and building the required systems and local workforce.
The proposed model would combine online access with physical ticket sales. Karoney told iGaming AFRIKA that the Board expects to launch the operator procurement before the end of 2026, while acknowledging that installation, recruitment and launch preparations will take time. The date is therefore a target rather than a confirmed opening day.
The procurement follows earlier work to appoint transaction advisers. A tender notice published by the World Lottery Association documented the Board's request for advisers to support procurement of a national lottery operator. The current report says a consortium involving RSM Eastern Africa and Sweden-based QLOT Consulting is assisting with contracts and tender documentation.
Kenya's National Lottery Act provides the statutory framework for the Board and the National Lottery Fund. The planned lottery is intended to channel proceeds after prizes and operating costs toward public-benefit programmes, including community development, sport, research and social investment. The Board is also conducting a survey on player preferences and spending expectations before the operator tender begins.
