This archive report was first published on 31 October 2019.
On Thursday, the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) announced the digitization of its procurement processes, a move that aligns with President Uhuru Kenyatta's directive to make all state contracts public.
According to KETRACO, the digitization of procurement processes has been achieved through an e-procurement platform powered by SAP Ariba Cloud.
Managing Director Fernandes Barasa noted that the second phase of the automation process will see tenders and quotations submitted and processed online for efficiency, accountability, and transparency.
"This process is 100% paperless, and KETRACO is the first company to implement this automation in the East and Central Africa region," said Barasa.
Under the new system, all interested bidders/suppliers will be required to submit their documentation online, and tenders will be received, evaluated, and awarded online.
As part of the first phase of the implementation, which went live in April this year, KETRACO automated its 'procure to pay' operations by onboarding suppliers to the SAP Ariba network to start transacting electronically.
Over 260 suppliers have been trained, registered on the Ariba network, and continue to transact with KETRACO in a paperless environment.
"Supplier registration and qualification have now been made available online. The youth and special groups will be submitting their registration applications online and will be onboarded immediately," said Barasa.
President Kenyatta had ordered full public disclosure of details of government tenders in June 2018 as a measure to rein in on wanton corruption.
"The Executive Order requires all government entities and public-owned institutions to publish full details of tenders and awards from July 1, 2018," said a statement from State House.
