Kenya’s first National Lottery advances towards operator appointment as RSM, QLOT named advisers

Kenya has moved closer to appointing the operator of its first National Lottery after the National Lottery Board selected a consortium led by RSM Eastern Africa and Sweden’s QLOT Consulting to structure and oversee the competitive procurement process.

Kenya’s National Lottery Board (NLB) has appointed a consortium led by RSM Eastern Africa in partnership with QLOT Consulting as Transaction Advisor for the procurement of the country’s first National Lottery Operator. The appointment was announced on August 20 following an open international tender conducted under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act 2015.

The consortium was selected using the Quality and Cost Based Selection methodology and emerged as the highest-ranked responsive bidder. RSM brings transaction advisory, governance and public-sector experience in East Africa, while Sweden-based QLOT specialises in lottery consulting and is an Associate Member of the World Lottery Association.

Its mandate extends well beyond preparing tender documents. The advisers will support the NLB from transaction and concession structuring through market engagement, financial modelling, technical and cybersecurity requirements, bid evaluation, contract negotiations, operator onboarding and launch readiness. The Board’s original RFP says the process must produce a transparent and competitive procurement while protecting player interests, data sovereignty, system integrity and long-term public value.

The appointment marks an important shift from institutional preparation towards the actual selection of an operator. The NLB is legally responsible for establishing and safeguarding the National Lottery, procuring and contracting its operator and administering the National Lottery Fund. The future operator will, however, also require licensing under Kenya’s wider gambling regulatory framework, meaning contractual oversight by the NLB and gambling regulation will remain separate but complementary functions.

NLB Chairperson Dr Farida Karoney said the objective is to build a lottery based on transparency, responsible governance and international best practice. The advisory assignment also includes a structured knowledge-transfer programme so that expertise in areas such as lottery operations, technical systems, financial modelling and contract management remains within the Board after the external advisers complete their work.

Player protection is expected to be built into the eventual operating model. The Board has indicated that the selected operator will face requirements covering age verification, responsible play, self-exclusion, advertising discipline and clear information for participants. Kenya’s National Lottery is restricted to people aged 18 and over.

After prizes and operating costs, National Lottery proceeds are intended to support public-interest programmes through the National Lottery Fund, including charities and humanitarian initiatives, youth and women’s economic empowerment, sports, arts and culture, health, education, heritage and emergency response. The NLB says distribution will be subject to governance, audit and public accountability requirements.

The next major stage will be the competitive procurement of the operator itself. The Board has not yet published a definitive selection or launch timetable, stressing that it will prioritise the quality and credibility of the process over speed. The appointment of RSM and QLOT therefore does not mean an operator has already been chosen, but it brings Kenya materially closer to moving its National Lottery from institutional design to operational launch.