Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning John Mbadi has defended the implementation of the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system, saying the platform is steadily transforming public procurement by enhancing transparency, efficiency, and accountability across both national and county governments.
Appearing before the Senate to address a question from Senator Catherine Muma regarding the system’s implementation status, Mbadi stated that procurement timelines are already improving as government entities transition to the digital platform.
“We are seeing reduced procurement cycle times, improved value for money, and stronger audit trails that improve confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of transactions,” he explained.
He further told the Senate that transparency has significantly improved through the real-time publication of procurement activities.
“Oversight bodies, suppliers, and the public can now monitor tenders from submission to award,” he noted, highlighting how this has strengthened accountability and public scrutiny of government expenditure.
Mbadi explained that the reform is anchored in Article 227 of the Constitution, which requires procurement to be fair, equitable, transparent, competitive, and cost-effective. He added that the system reduces direct human interaction in procurement processes, which has historically created opportunities for corruption.
“e-GP automates procurement from bid submission to award and minimises human interaction, which has been a major source of corruption, favouritism, and the solicitation of facilitation fees,” he stated.
The Cabinet Secretary reported that adoption has rapidly expanded since the system’s launch last year, with mandatory use taking effect from 1 July 2025. He confirmed that 1,543 procuring entities have been registered and onboarded, and 679 have already published consolidated annual procurement plans.
Mbadi revealed that 9,772 tenders have been published on the platform, with 2,604 contracts processed and published through the system. He added that the value of contracts currently processed stands at approximately Ksh 9 billion, while overall activity on the platform has risen to about Ksh 12 billion as usage increases.
He expressed the government’s expectation of significant long-term fiscal benefits once the system reaches maturity.
“Upon maturity, this system is expected to deliver value for money and generate savings of up to Ksh 85 billion,” he projected.
Mbadi also detailed ongoing capacity-building initiatives aimed at strengthening uptake across government. He indicated that over 2,000 procurement officers have received hands-on training, while 40,554 public finance management officers have been trained through virtual sessions. He noted that additional support is available via a help desk at the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management Towers in Nairobi, alongside nationwide supplier webinars and Huduma Centre support points.
The Cabinet Secretary stated that the system is being integrated with key government databases, including IFMIS, KRA iTax, the Business Registration Service, and population registries, to enhance verification and system integrity.
He further noted that transition compliance measures are being enforced, with all entities required to migrate to the platform. Only procurements processed through e-GP will be sanctioned and paid, he confirmed.
Mbadi disclosed that 20 counties have already recorded active contracts on the system. Kisumu County leads with 467 contracts valued at Ksh 1.39 billion, followed by Siaya with 163 contracts worth Ksh 851 million.
He described the platform as a structural reform in public financial management designed to embed transparency, efficiency, and accountability across national and county procurement systems.
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