NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 29 – The Cabinet on Thursday directed that all payments due to government suppliers – with preference to women, youth and persons with disabilities – be made without further delay.
Under Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO), 30 percent of government tenders should, as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013, go to the three special interest groups.
“I don’t see the reason why we can keep purchasing things from outside when we have them here. I know most have done so which encourages corruption. We must support our local SMEs,” he said last year when he called on women to be more aggressive in ‘chasing’ the tenders given the still few number of women who’ve taken advantage of the edge he gave them.
READ: Seek more tenders, Uhuru urges women
At Cabinet’s Thursday sitting, it was also resolved that the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government and all law enforcement agencies should prosecute all those who’ve invaded private ranches and farms in Laikipia, Kilifi and other parts of the country.
The forming of a joint venture between the government and De La Rue Currency and security printing company was also approved at Thursday’s meeting.
“Under the new arrangement, a special purpose vehicle will be formed through which the Government will acquire a 40 percent shareholding in De La Rue Kenya Ltd. This will enable the government to earn revenue from the venture.”