Youth, women and PWDs benefit from Sh5 billion worth of contracts

Youth, women and people with disabilities have benefited from Sh5.038 billion worth of contracts awarded by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and its related agencies, a senior ministry official has said.

This falls under the Government’s 30 per cent procurement rule. The groups have benefited from the tenders involving various activities lined up by the Government in the current financial year, aimed at creating jobs, reducing poverty and enhancing wealth creation.

Infrastructure Principal Secretary John Mosonik, during a press conference in his Upper Hill office on Tuesday, explained that the groups have benefited from the State’s new procurement scheme. “During the 2014/15 financial year, the State Department of Infrastructure aimed to award at least 30 per cent of its tenders to youth, women and persons living with disabilities,” said Eng Mosonik.

“So far, the State Department has awarded a total of Sh38.3 million worth of contracts to youth, women and persons with disabilities,” he noted. “The road authorities have jointly awarded more than Sh5 billion to the same group in the current fiscal year.”

Ministries and their related agencies are supposed to award youth, women and persons with disabilities at least 30 per cent of the tenders to increase their participation in development. He explained that most of the works the groups have benefited from include the supply of stationery, calendars and routine maintenance of road sections.

Road Rehabilitation

Eng Mosonik noted that a group of five women was for example awarded a contract of more than Sh100 million to rehabilitate some sections of roads, thus demonstrating the appetite by the targeted groups to benefit from the opportunities the Government is offering.

President Uhuru Kenyatta last year announced the introduction of the 30 per cent rule as a way of ensuring the youth, women and people with disabilities benefit from the more than Sh250 billion worth of contracts offered yearly. The Government’s revolving fund has also initiated local purchase order (LPO) financing to assist the youth, women and people with disabilities access credit to finance the projects.

The Youth Enterprise Development Fund has also set aside Sh200 million of the revolving fund this financial year to be accessed by youth bidding for public sector tenders. The Government is also offering financing for bid bonds and LPOs.

In an interview recently, the Fund’s Chief Executive Catherine Namuye said individuals, registered groups and youth-run firms can access loans from the revolving fund.

A beneficiary of the LPO financing, Jared Kimsingi from Kajiado County, said the concept will assist majority of the youth who win tenders but lack funds to implement the same. “The concept of trade finance products is noble and will help many young people who cannot execute projects they are bidding for from the Government,” said Mr Kimsingi, the proprietor of Peach Park Engineering and Construction Company in Kajiado County.