Makueni goes online to lift tendering veil

Makueni residents can now scrutinise the execution of all county government projects at any stage to ensure they get value for money following the launch of an online platform where all tenders will be posted.

Governor Kivutha Kibwana said the procurement portal will enable residents to hold elected leaders accountable and actively participate in the running of the local government.

With this, Prof Kibwana said, the county government should deliver better services from projects executed to the highest standards and completed on time.

The county boss, who spoke when he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with implementers of the open procurement initiative, Hivos East Africa, said residents will have access to names of all bidding firms, the identities of their directors, budgetary allocations for specific projects as well as time lines set for completion of each.

“Open contracting not only reforms procurement, but delivers quality goods and services to citizens. Anyone can see what my government is buying and who got the contract. This means real transparency in the fight against corruption,” he said.

Hivos East Africa’s regional director Mendi Njonjo said adoption of the Open Contracting Data Standard for Makueni County’s procurement systems will also make it easier to ensure equity and equality in resource distribution.

“This pro-active disclosure is healthy and promotes business competition for marginalised groups in bidding. Companies owned by women, youth and disabled people will enjoy more visibility since no one will be able to lock them out in any way,” said Ms Njonjo.

Procurement by public entities is usually conducted behind closed doors with no information provided on the criteria used to choose the winning bid or disclosing why others lost.