The government has turned to a Ksh400 million end-to-end system for procurement services across state agencies named the e-GP system.
“Accordingly, Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) is the use of information technology (especially the Internet) by governments in procuring works, goods, and services requested by the public, explained the Public Financial Management Reforms Secretariat.
Announcing the switch to the new system, the Directorate of Public Communications stated that government agencies will be required to make the switch by July 1 2024.
“The government of Kenya through the National Treasury embarked on the development of an end-to-end e-GP system with a view of automating all public procurement and disposal processes’, explained the Directorate of Public Communications.
Based on the information provided by the Directorate, the current switch will involve Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and county governments with state and county agencies expected to join in the 2024/25 financial year.
According to the government, the system will improve efficiency and encourage transparency in the procurement process.
Details of the system reveal that it was commissioned in collaboration with the National Treasury and the World Bank in 2017 with the contract being signed in 2022.
According to the Public Financial Management Reforms Secretariat, the contract to develop the software was signed between the Treasury and a joint venture between two companies at a cost of Ksh400 million (Rounded figure based on the current exchange rate) which is USD2.9 million.
The government has noted that the system is expected to reduce costs and increase transparency in procurement processes and practices.
Besides improving transparency, the system will aim to improve efficiency in procurement by minimising the procurement cycle time, maximising value for money, and fostering accountability through re-engineered procedures, and built-in process workflows and assist in audit trails.
Corruption in government processes has become a common phenomenon with County Governments included in the vice.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission put on the spot a few county governments with one notable matter being that of Taita Taveta County. The Coast-based region is alleged to have misappropriated funds for an event marking the commemoration of World War in the county.
