Migori: National Treasury and Economic Planning Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has stated that the Electronic Government Procurement System (E-GPS) must be fully implemented to enhance efficiency in the tendering process. Mbadi emphasized the importance of this system during a groundbreaking ceremony of the Kenya National Union of Teacher's (KNUT)-Migori Branch Plaza in Migori town.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mbadi highlighted that his office is undertaking reforms to ensure government savings and promote economic prosperity. The CS noted that the e-procurement platform will tackle corruption in the tendering process and establish a transparent system for all Kenyans interested in doing business with both national and county governments. Additionally, it aims to address issues of pending bills and reduce costs for the government and suppliers.
Mbadi also revealed that the E-procurement system will prevent payments for untendered projects and resolve the pending bills issue. He pointed out that the current manual system often leads to unfair disqualification of compliant bidders, resulting in inflated costs. The new e-procurement system will enable citizens to access government budgets and procurement plans easily, submit bids digitally, and monitor the evaluation process in real time.
He assured that his office will persist in reforms to restructure the budget, ensuring the realization of the government's agenda. Mbadi remarked on the necessity of managing scarce resources wisely to achieve developmental goals for the benefit of all Kenyans.
According to Mbadi, the E-GPS portal allows government entities and suppliers to manage the entire procurement process online, reducing bureaucracy and corruption while improving service delivery.
Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko supported the e-procurement principle but expressed concerns over the National Treasury's centralised management system potentially undermining devolution. Ochilo emphasized that while reforms promoting accountability are welcome, procurement functions should remain under county control, with the treasury department providing oversight. He warned that centralisation could delay projects and hinder local businesses, affecting county development agendas.