Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called for a review of supply chain and procurement laws to fight corruption in government.
Mudavadi urged professionals to adopt a sector-based approach while proposing amendments to drive an agenda that also suits them.
“Don’t wait for a top-down approach. Ensure all amendments you are crafting are specific and aligned to the dynamic changes caused by economic turbulences being witnessed,” Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi, who was speaking during the Heads of Supply Chain and Procurement Forum 2024 in Mombasa, urged procurement professionals to play their role in managing resources.
He said procurement and supply chain management is central to the growth and transformation of the country to a middle-income industrialised nation.
"You can help to improve the situation and safeguard the livelihoods of our people, particularly if you embrace the technological advances driving your industry, including artificial intelligence, block chain and cloud computing," Mudavadi told the forum.
He said procurement professionals can safeguard the livelihoods of Kenyans, particularly if they embrace the technological advances driving their industry, including artificial intelligence, blockchain and cloud computing.
"You should be helping to ease the pain of the Government by ensuring that all procurement processes deliver value for money for the people. Unfortunately, you stand in an awkward position as supply chain and procurement community is blamed for the most rampant cases of public sector fraud and corruption," he said.
He cited some of the grand corruption cases in the country such as Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing and reports in 2021 that Kenya loses an estimated Sh2 billion daily on corruption.
He said these cases are mostly related to procurement rigging.
He said it was regretful that the Controller of Budget and Auditor General publishes a litany of corruption, abuse of office and mismanagement of public resources in their reports every year.
Mudavadi said corruption hurts the poor people most because they are denied health services, education, water, electricity, roads and other services.
Public procurement, he noted, is perceived to be more susceptible to corruption, compared to other areas of government, such as tax collection, passport issuance or the judiciary.
