Buying system suspended after governors’ push

President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and Council of Governors chairman Peter Munya during the 4th National and County Governors Summit at State House, Nairobi. PHOTO | PSCU

What you need to know:

  • On Friday during their meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi, the county leaders forced the government to rescind its demand and allow the governors to use “alternative ways” to procure goods and services.
  • The governors had earlier this week threatened not to have any other discussion with the President during the 4th National and County Government Summit until the e-procurement matter is made top among the 15 issues to be discussed, insisting that Ifmis must be suspended.

The government has bowed to pressure and suspended the electronic procurement system in counties.

Governors had been protesting against demands by the Treasury to acquire goods and services through the Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis) saying it was cumbersome and that they did not have infrastructure to implement it.

On Friday during their meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi, the county leaders forced the government to rescind its demand and allow the governors to use “alternative ways” to procure goods and services.

The governors had earlier this week threatened not to have any other discussion with the President during the 4th National and County Government Summit until the e-procurement matter is made top among the 15 issues to be discussed, insisting that Ifmis must be suspended.

The system was declared temporarily suspended.

It was further decided that an intergovernmental team be set up to come up with recommendations to ensure that the e-procurement system is adopted by all counties by March next year.

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich will in the meantime instruct county governments on how to procure goods and services before the system is adopted again.

The controversial Ifmis was launched in August last year and was meant to ensure transparency and accountability in procurement and payment.

However, it was the same system which was allegedly used to make fraudulent payments to private companies at the National Youth Service leading to a loss of Sh826 million, a scandal which led former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru to quit office and suspension of senior officials in the ministry and NYS.

At the same time, President Kenyatta said the country was moving in the right direction with the implementation of devolution.

He said substantial progress had been made through devolution and challenges that face its implementation would be confronted with unity between the national government and counties.

“We are moving in the right direction and devolution is working. We have challenges but we can say clearly we have made substantial progress,” said the Head of State.

“Every governor has a success story to tell of the achievements made through devolution,” he said in the meeting also attended by Deputy President William Ruto.

Council of Governors chairman Peter Munya said tremendous gains had been made through devolution and called for further cooperation between the national and county governments to ensure stability and progress.

The summit was attended by Cabinet Secretaries and senior government officials including Attorney-General Githu Muigai, Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo and Chairman of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Charles Nyachae.