Make public tender awards transparent

The battle for lucrative tenders in government has come back to haunt the ruling Jubilee coalition and as often,  Kenyans will be the biggest losers.

In a damning report published in this newspaper, a new grouping nicknamed ‘sky team fixers’ has been accused of coercing parastatals to award tenders to their cronies. This has reportedly created hostility between the two main coalition partners, TNA and URP.

While it is in order to seek to do business with the government, the fact that this stiff competition could hinder efficient service delivery, is what we stand strongly against.

This unhealthy competition has often led to shoddy work or sub-standard equipment and services. Similarly, Kenyans deserve a conducive environment to conduct their business.

This cannot be achieved if corrupt individuals are allowed to influence key decisions in procurement. Procurement wrangles have held back development for long, and Kenyans want President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto to urgently weed out corrupt elements in all parastatals and the Office of the President.

Indeed, the President has been on record warning corrupt wheeler-dealers that their time is up. Should these cartels, which reportedly threaten parastatals chiefs with the sack, be allowed to continue their dirty machinations, the Jubilee government won’t deliver its pledges to Kenyans.

The Public Procurement Oversight Authority should also be allowed to fulfill its mandate. Reports of the authority’s decisions being ignored should worry all Kenyans. Finally, let public tenders be awarded on merit.