The oil firm is holding sensitization workshops for the special groups in Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu which have benefited small businesses drawn from different parts of the country/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 26 – Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has trained at least over 1,000 youth, women and persons with disability-owned enterprises to be able to participate in government procurement.
Speaking during a sensitization workshop, KPC’s Managing Director, Joe Sang said the program aims to enhance awareness, build capacity, increase transparency and promote competition for public tenders.
“This sensitization drive has been designed to increase the participation of special groups such as women, youth and persons living with disability in public procurement to help alleviate poverty and curb unemployment,” said Sang.
The initiative is in line with the Government of Kenya policy of enabling marginalised sections of society to access at least 30 percent of government procurement opportunities. The oil firm is holding sensitization workshops for the special groups in Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu which have benefited small businesses drawn from different parts of the country.
The oil firm is holding sensitization workshops for the special groups in Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu which have benefited small businesses drawn from different parts of the country.
Sang said over the last four years, the company has invested over Sh2.7 billion in supporting the programme across the country.
“This financial year alone, we have spent over Sh1.12 billion to support women, youth and persons with disability. This is 100 percent of what we had budgeted for,” said Sang.
In 2013, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that the procurement rules be amended to allow 30 per cent of government contracts to be given to the youth, women and persons with disability without competition from established firms.
The Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) initiative aims to facilitate the youth, women and persons with disability-owned enterprises to be able to participate in government procurement.
A procuring entity shall allocate at least thirty percent of its procurement spend for the purposes procuring goods, works and services from micro and small enterprises owned by youth, women and persons with disability.
Speaking during the sensitization, KPC’s General Manager for Supply Chain, Vincent Cheruiyot, said the common reasons for delay in payment include arithmetical errors on the invoice; delay in submission of the invoice by vendors; supply of wrong items; Invoice without ETR; partial supply without invoice and lack of credit notes.
“Despite the change in law to allow special groups to access opportunities to supply government with goods and services, their participation has been hindered by Insufficient training on public procurement laws,” said Cheruiyot.
Cheruiyot said the training provided during the sensitization workshops will improve skills and ability of special groups to participate in AGPO.
