Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has warned all Principal Secretaries and accounting officers to ensure their departments comply with the implementation of the new Electronic Government Procurement (eGP) system.
Speaking at the eGP launch in Nairobi on Monday, Mbadi directed the accounting officers of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), particularly the PSs, to immediately begin rolling out the system within their departments and with suppliers.
''All MDAs are now required to begin the rollout beginning with supplier registration. Then procuring entity registration and ensure their suppliers are trained," Mbadi directed.
According to the CS, should the PSs fail to onboard their departments' services on the eGP, then he will recommend to the president to take action on them as the appointing authority.
''I want to implore the accounting officers and PFM officers that any resistance to eGP reform will not be tolerated. The accounting officers, that is, the PSs, I hope you are aware that I am not the appointing authority; it is the president. However, I am the one who made you the accounting officers," Mbadi stated.
''So if you resist (onboard services on the eGP), I will take back your responsibility and ask the President whether you are still useful as a PS if you are not able to be an accounting officer in your department,'' he added.
The eGP will enable the government to upload and keep an updated record of its operations, including the various budgetary allocations, according to Mbadi.
Further, the system will enable the government to upload and make publicly available its procurement plans and the tendering systems.
Additionally, various bid bonds issued by the government will be uploaded on the system, as well as the tendering system evaluation reports.
All suppliers will be required to register to the portal before they can be allowed to trade with the government as part of the new policy directives to enhance service delivery.
Before starting the registration process, suppliers will need a valid company or business registration number issued and maintained by the Business Registration Service (BRS), an ID number, and a Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) PIN for the business or individual, as well as a certificate of registration, incorporation, or compliance and an official mobile phone number and email address.
Meanwhile, the Treasury announced that once the budget verification process is complete, it will publish an explainer on the budget contents through local media.
