Kakamega youth encouraged to register for digital government tenders
Officials from Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) and the National Treasury have encouraged youth in Kakamega County to register their businesses through the Electronic Government Procurement System (EGP) to ease the workload and enhance transparency in government procurement in a bid to fight corruption.
Speaking to journalists in Kakamega town after engaging with business owners, the officials led by Osedo Stefano and Wilfred Siakama, urged young people to register their businesses as suppliers to enable them to access government tenders easily through the e-government procurement system.
According to Osedo Stefano, Head of Policy, Research and Advocacy at KNCCI, the initiative aims to train over 10,000 suppliers across the country in the first phase.
He said they are encouraging local youth to join the programme so they can learn how to apply for government tenders through the electronic system, widely known as EGP.
“We encourage every youth and person living with a disability to register their business as a supplier or contractor through EGP to ease the bidding process and reduce corruption,” Osedo said.
He added that the sensitisation campaign began in February and will end in April, mainly targeting young entrepreneurs to boost their participation and help them secure government tenders that could increase their income.
Osedo said KNCCI has partnered with the National Treasury to facilitate the training and empower youth and persons living with disabilities to understand the value of public funds.
“KNCCI has partnered with the National Treasury to educate people on the importance of registering their businesses and securing tenders online without travelling to any office,” he added.
The officials said the e-government system is transparent and reduces paperwork for suppliers bidding for tenders.
They noted that the platform will also address the issue of pending bills, as suppliers will be able to track unpaid bills online without visiting government offices.
Osedo said the government has faced challenges in the allocation of funds for tenders and procurement, but the new system allows users to see funds allocated per tender through the electronic platform.
He added that the system does not require political connections, as it automatically updates and notifies qualified applicants, thereby reducing backlogs and corruption in government offices.
Wilfred Siakama from the National Treasury said the department’s role is to register suppliers and provide basic training on the Electronic Government Procurement system.
Siakama revealed that suppliers from over 20 counties have been engaged in the first phase, with the second phase set to cover the remaining counties, including Uasin Gishu and Samburu.
“We have so far covered 20 counties since we began the engagement. Many people have registered, and we expect more registrations from the remaining counties,” Siakama said.
According to Siakama, more than 37,000 suppliers have registered on the system, with youth making up about 70 per cent, followed by persons living with disabilities.
He said suppliers continue to register daily and urged more to do so to gain access to public tenders that were previously dominated by established businesses.
He added that another objective of the programme is to eliminate manual approval processes that have been prone to interference by officers, allowing suppliers and contractors to track their applications online.
“The system has registered over 37,000 people, with youth forming the majority. It will reduce workload, and suppliers and contractors will be able to monitor their transactions online,” Siakama said.
