The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority has moved to streamline public tendering with the adoption of a new procurement platform.
The fully automated Public Procurement Information Platform will be used for the publication of contract awards and tender notices by procuring entities.
According to PPRA Chairman Jimmy Kahindi, the platform has over the past seven years been focal in disclosing public procurement information to the public.
“This event is the culmination of a collective effort that began back in July 2018, when PPIP was originally launched following the issuance of Executive Order No.2 of 2018,” said Kahindi.
“Since then the platform has continuously delivered the key principle of transparency, accountability, openness, and enhanced disclosure of public procurement information to the public,” he stated.
State tendering has been reported as one of the most corrupt areas, with the United States of America flagging rampant bribe requests and extortion of US firms by Kenyan government officials to secure tenders.
The 2024 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers released on March 29, by US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, notes that US firms have had very limited success bidding on Kenyan government tenders, with corruption being a significant concern.
PPRA remained confident that the automation and enhancement of the platform will be instrumental in upholding procurement standards and addressing previous backlogs in tender details.
The procurement system, which was originally launched in 2018, currently has about 1,500 registered procurement entities, of which 300 to 800 are active.
The advancement aims to scale up this to over 34,000 procurement entities with enhanced efficiency and accountability.
Chairman of the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB) George Murugu, said that the portal will also be pivotal in accelerating the country’s economic transformation.
“The enhanced portal is a testament to the goals of the review board as it ensures a seamless procurement process that is transparent, accountable, and free from corruption. This not only safeguards public funds but also promotes confidence in the system,” he stated.
The platform re-invention is a joint initiative between PPRA, GIZ and Strathmore University’s iLabAfrica.
