Treasury ordered to flag agencies missing 30% youth-women-PWD tenders
Key points
- Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei directed the National Treasury to harden enforcement of the 30 per cent procurement reserve for youth, women and persons with disabilities.
- e-Government Procurement (e-GP) and IFMIS should flag non-compliant entities during budgeting and procurement.
- Systems could restrict new procurement commitments by institutions that miss the reserved allocation.
- Message delivered via PS Cyrelle Odede Wagunda at the fifth Heads of Procurement and Supply Chain Management Conference in Mombasa.
The 30 per cent Access to Government Procurement Opportunities rule is moving from a paper expectation toward a system hard-stop. Eastleigh Voice reported that Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has told the National Treasury to use electronic procurement and financial systems to catch agencies that fail the quota before they lock new contracts.
Koskei wants the e-Government Procurement (e-GP) system and IFMIS configured to flag non-compliant institutions during budgeting and procurement, and potentially to restrict further procurement commitments until the reserved share for youth, women and persons with disabilities is met. The remarks were delivered on his behalf by Principal Secretary Cyrelle Odede Wagunda (Public Investments and Assets Management) at the fifth Heads of Procurement and Supply Chain Management Conference in Mombasa on Tuesday.
From AGPO aspiration to system gate
If implemented, the change would give AGPO an enforcement spine: miss the 30 per cent and your next tender batch may stall at the system layer rather than only in an annual report. That raises operational questions for accounting officers — how historical shortfalls are cured, how joint ventures count, and how counties align with national e-GP rules.
Business desk: Business. Verified directive, systems named and conference venue from Eastleigh Voice; no go-live date for the technical flags was published in the same speech package.
Youth, women and PWD suppliers will believe the policy when rejected tenders reverse and when dashboards show reserved lots actually awarded. Procurement heads now have a compliance project with political ownership at the centre of government.
Accounting officers should assume the flags will eventually bite budget approvals. AGPO suppliers will trust the reform only when reserved lots convert into purchase orders they can cash at the bank.
Based on Eastleigh Voice reporting of Koskei’s conference message. System configuration timelines remain with Treasury/ICT implementers.
