Public Procurement at National and County Level: Opportunities for Women and Youth Enterprises
Channel: Hbs Nairobi
Date: 2013-08-22

Over 500 Kenyans from all walks of life congregated at the Nairobi Safari Club's Mawingo Hall on 30th May 2013 to learn and share information about the 30% public procurement quota reserved for women and youth at the monthly Hbs Gender Forum. In his inauguration speech, President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged that his government would introduce affirmative action measures in favour of specific disadvantaged sections of the citizenry that have been previously marginalized from the mainstream of government procurement, mainly women, youth and persons living with disability.  The enormous interest in the topic could be an indication that Kenyan women and youth are poising themselves to grab hold of the opportunities and get down to business.  

In the year 2013/4, the GoK will spend about 70% of the 1.6 Trillion Shillings budget on procurement of goods and services. 30% of all government procurement amounting to approximately 336 Billion Shillings will be reserved for women, youth, persons living with disabilities and small and medium enterprises in a bid to even the playing field and provide equal opportunities to these groups. Categories of goods and services that will be procured on preferential basis to persons who have been previously discriminated or disadvantaged by unfair competition will also be given.

The billion shilling question is: will these target beneficiaries actually benefit? Is the law supportive; are government procurement entities and their officers adept to apply the changing procurement scene? Are the intended beneficiaries aware of the opportunities, are they procurement ready and are they vigilant to claim their rights and privileges? Are lobby, oversight and monitoring agencies prepared to ensure that the governments at national and county levels will make this happen? After all this is not the first time that a procurement quota has been set aside for purposes of affirmative action, yet it has been ineffective.

For the full report, kindly visit: http://www.ke.boell.org/web/444-613.html