The Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA) in partnership with German International Cooperation (GIZ), have plans to automate procurement processes in 13 regions countrywide.
Speaking on Thursday at a forum to train and enlighten suppliers on how to carry out the process in Kisumu, the GIZ representative Mr Dan Mugendi said that the exercise will be rolled out at the beginning of the next financial year.
Mugendi added that e-procurement is aimed at introducing prospective payment Information System (IFMIS) which fully automates the procurement and payment process.
He added that the automated process will help in fostering transparency and accountability to the previously flawed procedures.
According to officials from treasury, the system is also set to reduce the workload involved in the process of tendering, costs and time involved as suppliers will not have to travel long stances to place tenders in different counties and/or ministries head offices.
Also speaking at the forum, Mr Linus Mureithi from compliance office of the PPOA took the suppliers through a course on how to effectively use the e-procurement interface emphasising that the supplier needs to pay attention to detail.
The system is said to enhance policy compliance and reduce the human interface in the procurement procedure thereby minimise corruption incidences that were prevalent in the manual procurement.
“This system is much like the manual one but faster and much more efficient. Through it, one will be notified when tenders are available via emails and the whole procurement cycle is fully automated making it easier for one to expect payment early too,” said Mureithi.
“As prospective suppliers from different groups pay attention to detail especially the youth and people living with disability, avail certificates that identify you since the process largely depends on the documentation offered,” he said.
“Time is another factor that you should respect and appreciate, the tendering process solely depends on it and the system has a timer for every time each bid expires,” he added.
The forum attracted 120 participants from the region with the special groups of women, youths and people living with disabilities being represented.
Boniface Mwendwa, from the ministry of Interior and Coordination added that the system will be effective in providing a smoke screen between the supplier and the panels dealing with the respective bids making it hard for one to try and compromise the involved officials.
Some suppliers however raised concern on how the system will be able to validate certificates and physical location of the prospective bidders and may lead to the re-emergence of briefcase suppliers.