Rotich defends State contracts awarded to Uhuru kin
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE
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CS Rotich said that all women had the right to do business with government and that they should not be discriminated based on their social status.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich Tuesday defended government departments under pressure for classifying well-to-do women as disadvantaged in awarding multimillion tenders.
Mr Rotich said that all women had the right to do business with government and that they should not be discriminated based on their social status.
He was speaking following controversy over who should benefit from the 30 per cent of all government tenders that have been set aside specifically for women, youth and persons with disabilities.
The programme launched by the Jubilee government, and which has been put in law, is dubbed the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO).
Mr Rotich said that as per the government’s definition, all the three groups were disadvantaged.
“We do not differentiate who in the three categories is disadvantaged. As it stands, all of them are disadvantaged and have a right to do government with business,” Mr Rotich said at a breakfast meeting in a Nairobi hotel Tuesday.
Mr Rotich’s defence comes after revelations that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s close relatives had their company registered as disadvantaged.
There have also been revelations that some companies belonging to Ms Josephine Kabura - who siphoned millions from the National Youth Service - were registered as those of the disadvantaged.
The opposition and other critics have said that awarding contracts to women in proximity to wealth and influence in society went against the spirit of the law.
Deputy President William Ruto is also on record defending the well-to-do women, saying they were disadvantaged as women and should not be discriminated upon any further.
Mr Rotich was speaking ahead of a meeting of top government officials, multinationals and donors that will be held from November 28 to December 1 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.
The meeting will take stock on development cooperation over the next 15 years globally and comes after a 2014 high-level meeting held in Mexico City.
Over 3,000 people are expected to attend including representatives from governments, global multinationals and donor companies.
Mr Rotich said that Kenya will also use the meeting to introduce the country's flagship agenda for women and youth empowerment.
"The meeting will come up with an outcome document that will help us as we head to the achievement of the World 2030 Agenda," Mr Rotich said.
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