This archive report was first published on 2 July 2019.
July 2, 2019, marked a day of reckoning for Kenya's counties as the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) released a report highlighting the widespread failure to comply with tender rules.
According to the report, none of the 47 counties followed the set procurement and tender guidelines, a requirement that includes maintaining records, publicizing contract awards, and submitting plans.
PPRA board chairman Andrew Musangi stated, 'Out of the 30 compliance assessments undertaken for counties, none was fully compliant, only one was partially compliant, 17 were marginally compliant and 12 were non-compliant.'
Similarly, out of the 34 State corporations assessed, none was fully compliant. The report comes at a time when Kenya is grappling with a new wave of scandals involving questionable tenders and suppliers.
Investigations and audits suggest that the theft of billions of shillings annually is coordinated at a high level. The report follows a week after Parliament raised concerns over the failure to act on a lifestyle audit ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta last year.
Several county chiefs have faced dramatic arrests over allegations of procurement flaws, including Samburu governor Moses Lenolkulal, Migori counterpart Okoth Obado, and Murang'a's Mwangi wa Iria.
The PPRA assessment report classified Narok County as the only partially compliant entity, scoring 80.3 percent. The rest of the counties were classified as marginally compliant or non-compliant.
