The Kenya Institute of Supply Management (KISM) is working in collaboration with key actors in the justice chain system to uphold integrity in the procurement sector.
Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Institute of Supplies Management Kenneth Matiba said that the institute is working together with the Office of the Auditor General, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Media Council of Kenya to root out fraud.
Matiba said the collaboration is intended for value addition to acquiring practical insights for embedding ethics and integrity within the supply chain process.
“By leveraging the expertise and resources of these agencies, the Institute endeavors to foster a culture of transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain ecosystem,” Matiba said.
Speaking in Mombasa during the 3rd edition of Procurement Fraud Master Class themed ‘Enhancing Integrity in Procurement & Supply Chain Process,’ Matiba said that Supply Chain management is the implementation vehicle through which service delivery is achieved adding it plays a major role in the socio-economic development and is the area where a huge percentage of the national budget is expended hence of strategic importance.
He said that the government has established reforms by creating the policy, legal, and institutional framework to facilitate effective service delivery through supply chain management, but noted that fraud and lack of accountability remains a challenge.
The KISM CEO reiterated that fraud is a big challenge in the country and that they are working to enlist and foster the support of both state and non-state actors to come up with a unified and integrated approach to tackle the challenge.
“We will strongly engage relevant stakeholders to make our members feel adequately represented and empowered. We cannot be fence seaters when other professions are on the table on matters of national interest,” he said. He noted that victimization and stereotyping are also big challenges facing the supply chain sector.
He said that the profession operates in a dynamic environment that requires being up to date with emerging issues in technology and added that they are reevaluating and rationalizing their programs to ensure that they have up-to-date tech-based programs to equip their professionals with the right skills and competences to serve both locally and internationally.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to matters like Artificial Intelligence, especially since that is where the global community is moving to. So I am encouraging members to embrace the programs to top up to that particular need.
He said there are capacity-building efforts focused on instilling best practices and professionalism while educating their members on emerging issues within the industry. This dual approach aims to equip them with a comprehensive skill set necessary for excelling in the dynamic field of supply chain management.
KISM is a public entity missioned to train, license, and regulate supply chain management practitioners that was established under the “Supplies Practitioners Act Management Act NO. 17 of 2007” to promote “learning, development of best practices, and application of the same to procurement and supply chain management in Kenya”
By Fatma Said
