Going through an assessment of one of the many governement agencies, it is clear that there is a lot going on in regards to implementing the Public Procurement and Disposals Act 2006 and Regulations for Kenya. Its great to see that the initiatives going on are actually going to make a difference, though it will take a while for public perception to change.
Yes, we now have procurement law, but how many of us even understand law? Most people are too intimidated when it comes to such documents that they prefer not to bother with them at all. Many tend to learn along the way on the job and save themselves the headache of going through the legal lingo.
At the moment, procurement officers who are in urban cities of the country have the opportunity to study the procurement law at various colleges. More grass root procurement officers really don’t have that option, and in fact as we decentralise to the county system even more procurement professionals will be rather lost on the law. There needs to be a clear understanding that following process does not necessarily mean you are keeping with the law. The legal framework should be what your process is built on.
There will definitely be a gap in training for the procurement professionals who do not have access to the colleges in the more urban cities such as Nairobi.
Food for thought…