Prof. Kithure Kindiki- Deputy President
Deputy President, Professor Kithure Kindiki had urged that electronic procurement should be practised by all public institutions without exception, underlining that in case any misconduct is found with manual tendering transition, disciplinary action will be taken.
Kindiki was speaking during a Development Partners Forum held in Nairobi which was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, cabinet secretaries, and principal secretaries.
According to Kindiki, the government wants to infuse transparency in the public financial system through accountability and efficiency.
“Stepping into e-procurement will not be optional but a compulsory directive. On trying to sabotage the reform, they will be met with the contempt of the constitution and prosecuted,” Kindiki said.
Consistent with the statement above, the Deputy President said that the manual procurement processes had, for years, allowed the manipulation of public funds through the inflation of the costs of the goods or the services provided.
Through digitisation of procurement, the government aims to fight corruption and reduce wastage while offering the same quality of service to the customers.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, who also addressed the forum, noted that a major challenge in the implementation of the reform strategy is the resistance from public officials.
He added that some officers deliberately cling to outdated systems to exploit weaknesses in the tendering process for personal gain.
“Opposition to e-procurement is not based on inefficiency or technical challenges but it is a concerted effort by a few who want to keep the corrupt networks intact. Government will not let this happen,” Mbadi said.
Development partners present at the forum welcomed the government commitment, saying that digitised procurement is a key step toward restoring public trust and attracting international investment.
The e-procurement system is a component of the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) project.
The system is expected to harmonise procurement processes across the different ministries, agencies, and county governments and to close the loopholes that were causing the country to lose billions of shillings per year.