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Treasury has agreed with the banks and the Youth Enterprise Fund to provide financial security for the qualified youth/FILE

Kenya

Youths to get 10pc State contracts starting July 1

Treasury has agreed with the banks and the Youth Enterprise Fund to provide financial security for the qualified youth/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 29 – The youth can now enjoy 10 percent of the procurement contracts in all government institutions starting Sunday, July 1, following President Mwai Kibakis’ directive in February this year.

Public Procurement Department Director at the Ministry of Finance Celestine Otunga on Friday said for any youth to qualify, he or she must own an enterprise, have professional qualifications and be between 18 to 35 years old.

Otunga, who was speaking during the launch of the Youth Access to these contracts amounting to Sh75 billion, said the tenders to be given include supplying of goods like furniture, electronics, printing t-shirts, stationery and many others. Services include consultation, taxi services, event organizing, courier services among others.

“For example government needs uniforms for people like the police, the military, and the armed forces. Many of the Kenyan youth can make very good clothes; even what I am wearing now has been made by a young person,” Otunga said.

She added that the Treasury has agreed with the banks and the Youth Enterprise Fund to provide financial security for the qualified youth.

The Treasury will be running a pre-qualification exercise for a period of one month, in all counties across the country which will include training, creating awareness and putting every youth in categories according to their occupation.

So far, the Treasury has registered over 300 youths, who own various enterprices.

Otunga added that they are working on reforms in the payment mode after the delivery of good or services in government which have continued to discourage many companies from applying for tenders in government offices.

“Currently it goes to even six months which is quite a long time especially for a starting company. But I am negotiating with my bosses to see how to work on it,” Otunga assured.

The directive is expected to be reviewed after five years.

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