19^th July 2018                         By Emmaculate Muia /Korir

Over 500 procurement officers drawn from different government Ministries, state agencies and County governments converged at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre to undergo training on how to implement the Presidential Order No 2 of 2018.

The Order directs that all Ministries and state entities publish information on all government contracts, suppliers, nature of goods and services on the newly created Public Procurement Information Portal to promote transparency and accountability

Speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Center today when he officially launched the training,  Principal Secretary for ICT Mr Jerome Ochieng said detailed  information on contracts awarded must  uploaded on the Portal on or before 15^th of every month without delay .

Mr. Jerome said publishing of detailed information of contracts and companies that have won the tenders and the cost of the contracts will promote transparency and allow public participation in scrutinizing how their taxes were being used.

The Principal Secretary said, the Portal had been secured against cyber security risks adding that all officers charged with uploading information will be held accountable for any inaccurate, delays or lack of information on the portal about contracts.

He added that the procurement officers were being equipped with skills to enable them to meet the government’s objective of promoting transparency and accountability in public procurement. He called on the officers to be committed to their work and provide accurate information to avoid public complaints and promote trust and confidence in government institutions.

The Principal Secretary said expenditure on procurement has a direct impact on economic growth because the process creates opportunities for investment in identified national programs and projects that improve the standards of living of citizens. He reiterated the government’s is committment to  ensure fair competition for all qualified bidders and is determined to put in place mechanism