Mwau said that the ministry has set aside 30 percent of all government procurement opportunities for enterprises owned by these groups/FILE
Speaking at the Public Procurement Stakeholders forum in Nairobi on Friday, Economic Secretary Geoffrey Mwau said that the reviewed law is intended to give more priority to Small and Medium Enterprises, women, the youth and persons with disabilities.
“The challenge is for these groups to take full advantage of these opportunities and participate competitively in public procurement opportunities, to enhance their growth and provide more employment opportunities,” he said.
Mwau said that the ministry has set aside 30 percent of all government procurement opportunities for enterprises owned by these groups.
“These provisions will go a long way in developing social economic and technical capacity in Kenya by providing opportunities for local citizen contractors as well as taming capital flight,” he noted.
Mwau also said that amendments to the Public Procurement and Disposal Act will meet the needs of the country and enhance legal anchorage of the private procurement system.
“The law will also ensure that public entities procure goods, services and works with a reduced negative environment and social impact throughout their life cycle,” he revealed.
He said that the public procurement oversight authority is looking into devolving its operations by opening up regional offices to cover the needs of the counties.
He revealed that plans are underway to systematically automate our procurement processes by activating the Procure to Pay Module of the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
“This will be done in phases and on a pilot basis, and it will enhance transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology (ICT),” he said.
