The Public Procurement and Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has initiated a collaborative effort with county governments and other procurement entities to identify and address challenges in the procurement process, aiming to improve compliance and service delivery.
This initiative follows PPRA’s observation of low compliance rates across various procurement entities nationwide.
Speaking to the media after a meeting with Kilifi County Governor Gideon Mung’aro, PPRA Chairperson Jimmy Kahindi noted that many national and county government staff members were unfamiliar with the PPRA digital system, which is crucial for uploading details about contract advertisements and awards.
“It has come to our knowledge in the counties that we have visited so far that most of the procurement staff have not been taken through training on how to work with this new system. That is a challenge that we are seeing and are ready to address,” Kahindi noted.
The Chairman, who was in Kilifi to review the county’s public procurement reports, stressed that PPRA’s role is supportive rather than adversarial, offering assistance to both national and county governments in procurement matters.
According to Kahindi, effective procurement and the successful management of its challenges could significantly reduce corruption cases in the country stating that since procurement forms the foundation of most activities in both national and county governments, ensuring its integrity is crucial for overall governance.
“Procurement is the baseline of everything that happens in the national and county governments because most of the services and goods are procured and this is where it all starts. So if we can get procurement done correctly, we can avert corruption cases,” Kahindi remarked.
He also urged the public to report cases of contractors failing to deliver on awarded contracts directly to PPRA, rather than to other bodies such as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), adding that these bodies often referred such cases back to PPRA.
Governor Mung’aro welcomed PPRA’s support, noting that it would aid his administration in monitoring awarded contracts, ensuring accountability from the contractors.
He added that PPRA would train county procurement staff on effective use of the digital system, which was expected to enhance compliance and service delivery at the county level.
“This system will have benefits for both PPRA and the county; it will help PPRA in ensuring compliance and help the county in easier follow-ups on advertised contracts. We have agreed that some officers from Nairobi will come and train our procurement staff on how to properly use the portal so that we can ensure efficiency and compliance in procurement,” Mung’aro explained.
By Cynthia Maseno
