Kenya’s government says its primary school laptop project is expected to commence in early 2014 but it has also hinted at possible delays.

Last week, Kenya’s government said it had extended submissions for its primary schools laptop tender project to Thursday this week.

As part of the project, Kenya plans to buy 1.3 million laptops for class one pupils in public primary schools.

The move to reopen bidding for the project comes after government cancelled a previous tender awarding process earlier this year, as government complained that bidders quoted prices that were too high.

Subsequently, Kenya’s education cabinet secretary, Professor Jacob Kaimenyi, has said government
aims to begin the re-tendering for the exercise by January 2013.

But he added that the entire programme could be delayed owing to ‘checks and balances’ required during procurement.

“We will do our best to make sure the laptops are given to our children during the first quarter of next year,” he said.

“The government understands the urgency and need to procure the devices to actualise the project by January 2014.

"The ministry is in consultation with the relevant government departments to come up with an appropriate competitive procurement mechanism which will ensure that the aforementioned computing devices are available in January 2014,” he added.

East African analyst for Informa Telecoms & Media, Danson Njue, told ITWeb Africa on Monday, that he too expects delays regarding the project.

“In my opinion, it will be done. The timing: I’m not sure about,” Njue told ITWeb Africa.