Governor Mandago takes on Kenya’s Treasury over procurement laws

Uassin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago (PHOTO: FILE)

ELDORET, KENYA: Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago has criticised The National Treasury for usurping the role of Public Procurement and Oversight Authority (PPOA) for managing the government procurement process.

Mandago regretted that the current public procurement law has become a bottleneck to young people to get government tenders and it is high time the pieces of legislation be amended to allow youth, women, and People living with Disabilities (PWDs) secure national and county government tenders.

“The National Treasury has become a bottle neck for counties to achieve actual procurement. Those locals who want to conduct genuine business with the county governments have been locked out because of the stringent and inappropriate laws,” said Mandago.

The county chief said the National Treasury has no business in public procurement and the process should be reverted to the PPOA to ward off tenderpreneurs who are minting millions from young people who are unable to carry out the tendering process.

“We should be allowed to conduct direct procurement from the locals doing the actual business but the National Treasury has become an impediment and is stifling everything until the economy is almost collapsing,” said Mandago in Eldoret on Monday.

He raised concern that tenderpreneurs were exploiting young people who would be reaping the maximum from their hard work.

He asked the National assembly to review the procurement laws and allow counties to carry out direct procurement.