NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has taken a major step towards establishing its first National Lottery Operator, with the National Lottery Board appointing a consortium to advise on the procurement and launch of the operator whose proceeds will support communities and national development initiatives.
The Board has appointed a consortium led by RSM Eastern Africa, in partnership with QLOT Consulting of Sweden, to guide the process from transaction structuring through operator onboarding and launch readiness.
National Lottery Board Chairperson Dr Farida Karoney said the appointment followed an open international tender conducted under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015.
The tender was evaluated using the Quality and Cost Based Selection methodology, with the consortium emerging as the highest-ranked and most responsive bidder.
“The consortium emerged as the highest-ranked and most responsive bidder,” Karoney said.
She said RSM Eastern Africa brings experience in transaction advisory and institutional strengthening within Kenya’s public sector, while QLOT Consulting brings international lottery procurement expertise as an Associate Member of the World Lottery Association.
Lottery proceeds to fund public causes
Karoney said the National Lottery is being designed around the social and economic benefits its proceeds can generate rather than simply the games themselves.
“The appointment of a credible, multidisciplinary Transaction Advisor is a defining step in building a National Lottery that Kenyans can trust,” she said.
According to the Board, money generated by the lottery, after payment of prizes and operating costs, will be channelled through the National Lottery Fund to support legally designated good causes.
These include charitable and humanitarian programmes, economic empowerment for young people and women, sports, the arts and creative economy, national heritage, health and education, emergency response and transformative national projects.
The model is expected to support grassroots initiatives, sporting talent, youth economic opportunities and community projects across the country.
The Board said disbursements from the National Lottery Fund will be governed by published rules, independently audited and publicly reported.
Board to oversee operator procurement
The National Lottery Board was established under the National Lottery Act, No. 20 of 2023 with responsibility for establishing, overseeing and safeguarding the National Lottery.
Its mandate also includes procuring and contracting the National Lottery Operator and administering the National Lottery Fund.
The broader regulation and licensing of gaming in Kenya falls under the Gambling Regulatory Authority, established by the Gambling Control Act, No. 14 of 2025.
The eventual lottery operator will therefore operate under the gambling regulatory framework while remaining contractually accountable to the National Lottery Board.
The Board said the two institutions have distinct but complementary responsibilities.
Responsible gaming to form part of lottery design
The National Lottery Board said responsible gaming safeguards will be incorporated into the system from the outset.
The planned measures include age verification, controls on play and spending, self-exclusion mechanisms, responsible advertising and clear disclosure of the odds of winning.
Karoney said the objective is to establish a lottery that is transparent, responsibly governed and aligned with international standards.
The transaction advisory assignment will also include a structured knowledge-transfer programme intended to ensure that expertise acquired during the process remains within the National Lottery Board.
Operator procurement next
The Board’s immediate focus will now shift to designing a transparent and competitive process for selecting and onboarding the National Lottery Operator.
Karoney said timelines for the next stages will be announced in due course, stressing that the Board would prioritise a rigorous process over speed.
“Our National Lottery will be structured transparently, governed responsibly, and built to international best practice, with every shilling raised channelled toward good causes that uplift communities across the country,” she said.
