Gachagua urges procurement officers to include women, youth, in tenders
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has urged government procurement officers to involve women, youth, and people with disabilities in their businesses.
Speaking at the Second Procurement and Supply Chain Dialogue forum in Mombasa, Gachagua highlighted the challenges faced by these groups due to unscrupulous officials colluding with suppliers.
“Some people register companies using women but the women are nowhere. Young people are registered as people doing business but the actual beneficiaries are not the youth, same to people living with disabilities. I want to appeal to you (supply chain officers) to allow these groups to do business,” the Deputy President said.
He urged supply chain officers to ensure fair processes, emphasizing the importance of integrity and adherence to due process.
“We are calling for integrity in the procurement and tendering. We must follow due process. Those who cannot do what is right must be dealt with, by the law,” Mr Gachagua said.
Gachagua defended the supply chain sector, acknowledging the presence of both dedicated professionals and a small percentage of corrupt individuals. He called for a more targeted approach, discouraging the collective condemnation of all procurement officers.
“There are many serious professionals in the procurement and supply chain sector. There are also a few rogue officers who are corrupt in tendering processes. Let people be called by name for,”
The Deputy President encouraged procurement professionals to expose and address corruption within their ranks to uphold the integrity of the profession.
“There are many serious professionals in the procurement and supply chain sector. There are also a few rogue officers who are corrupt in tendering processes. Let people be called by name for what they are. Targeting all procurement officers for condemnation is unfair and needs to stop,” the Deputy President said.
Expressing concerns about corruption hindering deserving Kenyans from engaging in government business, Gachagua recommended that investigating agencies enlist the expertise of procurement and supply chain professionals.
He criticized certain law enforcement officers for lacking the necessary understanding of corruption investigations, emphasizing the importance of recruiting experts to prevent the loss of taxpayer money.
Gachagua challenged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and other agencies to intensify efforts in combating corruption.
He called for the implementation of fool-proof systems, asserting that the government has allocated resources to address corruption effectively.
Additionally, the Deputy President advocated for the inclusion of high-tech transparency measures in procurement processes, emphasizing their role in creating opportunities for individuals at the grassroots level.
“We cannot keep complaining that we lose billions of shillings to corruption. The Government has allocated tax-payer resources to institutions to root out this vice. We can implement fool-proof systems. We have adequate laws and we are ready to strengthen them where there are gaps,” Mr Gachagua said.
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