Kenya has taken a major step toward launching its first national lottery by appointing a team of advisers to guide the process.
The National Lottery Board has named a consortium led by RSM Eastern Africa and Sweden’s QLOT Consulting as the official transaction adviser. Their role is to manage the selection of the lottery operator, structure the deal, and prepare the project for launch. The appointment followed a competitive international tender conducted under Kenya’s public procurement rules.
RSM Eastern Africa will handle transaction advisory and capacity building, while QLOT Consulting brings experience from similar lottery projects abroad. The consortium will also run a knowledge transfer program to strengthen the Board’s internal expertise. Board Chairperson Farida Karoney described the move as a defining step in creating a trusted national lottery built on transparency and international standards.
The National Lottery Board, established under the 2023 National Lottery Act, is responsible for overseeing the entire system, procuring the operator, and managing the National Lottery Fund. While the future operator will be licensed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority, it will remain directly accountable to the Board.
Proceeds from the lottery, after prizes and costs, will go into the National Lottery Fund and support areas such as youth and women empowerment, sports, education, health, the arts, national heritage, and emergency response. Responsible gaming measures, including age checks, spending limits, and self-exclusion options, will be built into the system from the start.
The next stage involves launching a competitive bidding process to appoint the actual lottery operator, with timelines to be announced in due course.
