NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 21 — All government procurement, end to end, will be conducted on the e-platform beginning 1st July, President William Ruto has said.
The President said that this is intended to curb fraud and eliminate inflated costs of government procurement that drain public resources.
He said there will be no exceptions in ensuring government procurement is transparent and above board.
“We should be able to know who has been awarded what tender and at how much. Know how many people participated, and it should be open to everybody,” he said.
He was speaking during the closing of the 3rd National Executive Retreat in Karen.
President Ruto said any public official responsible for the loss of public funds through fraudulent schemes will be held personally accountable.
He cited an example of a procurement officer who awards a contract to a hospital that has not been built, knowing well it would go to waste.
“Such an audit should take the form of personal responsibility for that officer,” he said.
The President pointed out that the government is keen on increasing revenue collection without raising taxes.
This, he said, will be achieved by enhancing efficiency in the tax system and sealing loopholes for loss of revenue.
To further enhance accountability, he said the government will establish a Single Treasury Account.
“Why do we have public funds in all manner of banks earning interest that benefits individuals?” he asked.
Cash-based to accrual accounting
He also noted that the government is shifting from cash-based to accrual accounting and will adopt zero-based budgeting.
These changes, he observed, will significantly cut down on wastage and misappropriation of public funds.
He added that the government has digitised services and urged agencies resisting the online payment system to comply.
The President said the government will retool public servants to better serve a population that is younger, more educated, smarter, and at times restless.
He said they are working on establishing a leaner, smarter, and more efficient government, utilising technology to be more effective.
President Ruto asked civil servants to steer clear of personal interest in government procurement.
“There is still a lot of conflict of interest in the government. Instead of serving the public, you are serving your personal interests,” he said.
President Ruto urged members of the Executive to work together as part of one government, devoid of silos.
In a statement read by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, the retreat resolved to strengthen government service delivery to enhance the administration’s performance and deepen public confidence.
