Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) in partnership with Public Financial Management Reforms secretariat (PFMR) and the German international cooperation (GIZ) is carrying out a sensitization programme of procurement entities on how to use a new system of collecting information for government tenders.
Brian Gitonga, an official from PPRA said that the newly introduced portal called public procurement information portal can be accessed on tenders.go.ke, for application of government tenders.
“The system will not only be used to advertise tenders but also provide information on tenders and contracts that have been awarded, making the process more transparent and void of unfairness,” he said.
He said the aim of the sensitization process is to help all users who could not access the information because they didn’t have the capacity or knowledge on how to upload information to do so without any difficulties.
Speaking at a hotel in Kakamega, Gitonga said the programme is focusing on users from state cooperation, county service delivery boards, county commissioner’s office, county executive and county assembly, the heads of procurements companies and accounting officers.
Gitonga said that since the users will now be equipped on how to use the system there are expectations that the users uptake will increase.
He said this new system will instill faith in government tenders and avoid the notion that the process is normally not transparent. “The new system will provide information openly and there will be no going through back doors” he added.
Gitonga said users can access the portal through a link to get informed and apply for tenders. “The public can also get more information from newspapers where government tenders are posted more often, “he added.
He gave an assurance that processes are governed by the public procurement and asset disposal act of 2015 and PPRA duty is to ensure that if there is an organization that is not following the Act action, then action will be taken against them.
By Cynthia Kerubo