The Kenya Institute of Supply Management has collaborated with the World Bank to organise a 10-day Intermediate Course Training for Procurement of Goods, Works, and Consulting Services, for World Bank-financed projects.
The course training comprised participants from Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana, South Sudan, the Kingdom of Eswatini, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mozambique, Somalia, and Tanzania.
Speaking during the launch of the course, which is set to run up to June 14, Kenneth Matiba, Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM), noted that the management’s aspiration of transforming KISM to be the Pan-African Centre for Supply Chain Management is becoming a reality because the programme is aimed at equipping participants with specialised procurement methods that prioritise efficiency, quality, and value in public spending, while remaining adaptable to individual countries’ situations.
“This collaborative regional approach aligns perfectly with the rebirth of a new philosophy at the institute, which we are proposing to our internal and external stakeholders, and thus delivering—as one and with all,” Matiba said.
Matiba expressed his belief in fostering peer-to-peer learning where professionals from across the region can share their experiences, challenges, and knowledge, noting that they all operate in a comparable ecosystem characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, among other challenges.
In 2018, the World Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM) to provide training materials, resource persons, and support for programme execution. According to Matiba, this partnership has been instrumental in the current training initiatives.
The training is now offered annually in three phases: Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced Levels, each designed to meet the increasing demand for more comprehensive experiential learning. The collaboration between KISM and the World Bank has been described as a mutually reinforcing partnership.
“We are also happy to inform you that we are rationalising our programmes to offer industry-relevant contents that address emerging issues such as the application of Artificial Intelligence and block chains in supply chain management, humanitarian and health supply, transport and logistics, and inventory management, among others,” Matiba Said.
The World Bank framework has been in operation since July 2016, and it promotes tailored procurement approaches that emphasise choice, quality, and value for public spending while enabling adaptation to country contexts. The framework assists client nations in determining the best value for their money by ensuring that projects adapt swiftly to changing needs.
Matiba noted that by highlighting public procurement alone, governments spend US$13 trillion annually—around 15% of global GDP, with Kenya’s being 26% of the GDP—which demonstrates the important role public procurement—and by extension, SCM—plays in achieving global sustainability goals, hence its strategic importance.
The government has established and continues to undertake reforms by creating the Policy, Legal, and Institutional Framework to facilitate efficient and effective service delivery through SCM, with opportunities for improvement still in existence, especially in regards to entrenching transparency.
Matiba noted that they are committed to transforming KISM to be a model institution that delivers to the expectations of its members and stakeholders, and that, leveraging the strategic direction of the Council and stakeholders’ support, he is confident in delivering on their mandate with the utmost professionalism, integrity, and diligence.
By Fatma Said
