Head of Public Service, Felix Kosgei, on Saturday, June 10, warned Principal Secretaries (PSs) that they would be held liable should tendering processes within ministries be marred with graft.
Speaking during a retreat in Isiolo, Kosgei divulged that investigative government agencies were monitoring the tendering process to ensure Kenyans get value for their money.
Some of the mischief he cautioned the administrators over was the over-pricing of goods and services and budget inflation.
He added that President William Ruto would not accept any excuses when taking administrative action.
"We want all procurement exercises to adhere to the law. The law stipulates that goods and services should be budgeted for in line with the prevailing market prices. So, why would you allow them to be bought at twice the price?
"Then you turn around and say you were misled by procurement officers? You are responsible for all activities in your state departments," he stated.
Further, he advised the PSs to employ different counter-checking techniques to ensure they are not duped by conniving procurement officers.
"Why won't you even walk across the road and pick an item and get to know the price?" he posed.
Kosgei - who also doubles up as the Chief of Staff - met with the ministry accounting officers tasked with managing resources days after Ruto reshuffled PSs.
The decision to transfer the principal secretaries was informed by the sacking of former Public Health PS Josephine Mburu, allegedly involved in the Ksh3.7 billion Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) mosquito net tender.
Investigative agencies have yet to establish her involvement in the scandal that saw the board of Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) overhauled.
Mburu, on the other hand, distanced herself from the scandal, stating that KEMSA was not under her docket. She thus claimed that she was wrongly fired.
"I was not involved in the process. The process had already started before me.
"I believe the staff did everything to the best of their ability unless otherwise but I was not involved," the PS stated while appearing before the Senate Health Committee.
