Boost as Kenya government reserves 30 per cent of tenders for youth, disabled

By Nicholas Waitathu

NAIROBI, KENYA: The disabled, youth and women will benefit more from a raft of procurement preferences announced by National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich. 

Mr Rotich said the State is ready to make public procurement process less costly to drive growth, create jobs and reduce poverty.

“Under the Jubilee administration, we are reforming the public procurement to reduce the turnaround time to complete a procurement process,” he  said on Thursday while presenting his first Budget in Parliament. 

“We will make it less cumbersome, more transparent and supportive to our economic agenda,” he added.

Rotich stated that the Government will enhance the preference and reservation for youth, women and persons with disability, from 10 per cent to 30 per cent. 

He noted that the Government will also accord preferential treatment to local firms that manufacture, assemble, grow, extract or mine goods in priority areas. Such areas include construction materials and related supplies, furniture, motor vehicles and foodstuffs. He observed that the State will fast track a new enterprise concept dubbed ‘Buy Kenya, Build Kenya’ to boost local products.

“Our intention includes reducing time taken to initiate and award a tender to no more than 30 days,” he noted.

Rotich called on all procuring entities including State corporations, national and county governments to observe new rules to give momentum to economic growth and employment creation. 

President Uhuru had two months ago promised that the country’s Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 will be amended to conform to the Jubilee government manifesto of enhancing production in sectors.