Senator Okiya Omtatah has demanded detailed answers from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) over the procurement and printing of Kenya's 2026 national examinations, raising fresh questions about transparency, the company awarded the contract, and the use of national security as a reason to withhold procurement information.
Omtatah wants KNEC to disclose the identity, ownership, financial capacity, technical experience and tax compliance status of the firm contracted to print the KCSE, KJSEA and KPSEA examination materials.
His demands come amid growing public scrutiny of the procurement process and renewed attention on Inform Lykos (SA) Hellas Ltd, a Greek company previously linked to the printing of Kenyan examination papers and ballot materials.
Omtatah Seeks Details of Examination Printing Firm
In a letter dated August 20, Omtatah asked KNEC to identify the company awarded the contract for printing the 2026 examination materials.
The Busia Senator wants the council to clarify whether the successful bidder is a Kenyan company, a foreign company or a local firm working in partnership with an international entity.
He is also demanding information on the firm's ownership structure and its previous experience in handling sensitive government contracts.
Omtatah argues that such information is necessary to establish whether KNEC conducted adequate due diligence before awarding the contract.
Senator Questions Firm's Capacity and Tax Compliance
Omtatah has also questioned whether KNEC verified the successful bidder's technical, financial, and operational capacity before awarding the contract.
The Senator wants the examination body to disclose whether the company has sufficient infrastructure and expertise to handle the printing of national examinations securely and within the required timelines.
He has further raised questions about the firm's tax compliance, citing reports that the Kenya Revenue Authority has previously scrutinised its tax affairs over alleged liabilities.
Omtatah wants KNEC to clarify whether the successful bidder had satisfied all tax compliance requirements before being awarded the contract.
Did KNEC Allow Subcontracting?
Another major issue raised by Omtatah is whether the examination printing contract has been subcontracted.
He wants KNEC to disclose whether the winning company has engaged other firms and, if so, identify those companies and explain what responsibilities they have been assigned.
The demand could put additional pressure on KNEC to explain who has access to the highly sensitive production chain surrounding national examination materials.
For Omtatah, transparency over subcontracting is particularly important because the security of examination papers depends not only on the primary contractor but also on every entity involved in their production and handling.
Senator Demands Procurement and Payment Figures
Omtatah has also asked KNEC to provide details about the procurement process itself.
He wants the council to disclose the number of companies that submitted bids, the procurement method used, the criteria applied during evaluation, and the identity of the successful bidder.
He is also seeking the total contract value, the amount allocated in the budget and the amount KNEC has already paid or committed under the agreement.
The questions could expose how much public money is being spent on the production of the 2026 national examinations and whether the procurement followed the required procedures.
Omtatah Challenges National Security Argument
The Senator's demands come after the Principal Secretary for Basic Education and the KNEC chief executive appeared before a National Assembly committee, where some procurement information was reportedly withheld on national security grounds.
Omtatah has challenged that justification.
He maintains that national security should not be used as a blanket excuse for denying Kenyans access to information about public procurement.
At the same time, he has clarified that he is not seeking the actual examination questions, security features or operational arrangements that could expose the examination system to threats.
His focus is instead on the procurement process, the contractor and the public money involved.
KNEC Yet to Respond
The latest demands place KNEC under renewed scrutiny as preparations for the 2026 examination cycle continue.
The council has yet to publicly respond to Omtatah's allegations and detailed requests for information.
The dispute could become a significant test of how far public institutions can invoke national security when dealing with procurement involving sensitive government operations.
While examination security must remain protected, Omtatah's intervention raises a separate question over whether basic information about who receives public contracts, how much they are worth and whether contractors meet legal requirements should remain accessible to the public.
As KNEC prepares for the 2026 examinations, Omtatah's questions put the council under pressure to prove that secrecy is protecting examination security rather than shielding a questionable procurement process.
