President William Ruto has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to fully digitizing all public procurement processes, insisting the shift is critical to curbing corruption and ensuring taxpayers get value for their money.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi on Thursday during a meeting with leaders from Kisii and Nyamira counties, Ruto said the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system will not be rolled back, despite resistance from some officials and a temporary court suspension.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we are not going back on e-procurement, because we want transparency, we want citizens to get value for what they pay as tax, that is how we will eliminate corruption, and that is how we are going to save public money, and we have said clearly any public official who does not want to participate in e-procurement should quit,” Ruto declared.
He warned that any official unwilling to support the system should step aside. “Any public official who does not want to participate in e-procurement should quit,” he declared.
Ruto faulted the manual procurement model, saying it has been riddled with irregular dealings that drain public resources. “We lose up to 40 per cent of public money to procurement, and that is the reason we are saying we are going to go e-procurement so that everything will be laid bare. If one is selling to the government, this should not be in the dark; everyone must be able to see; let it be made public,” he said.
His remarks came days after the High Court suspended the mandatory rollout of the e-GP system until October 15, following a petition that raised concerns about inclusivity and readiness.
The digital platform, introduced in April 2025, is designed to digitize the entire procurement chain from planning and tendering to contracting and payments. It is linked to the iTax system and the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
Even as the government pushes ahead, several county governments and stakeholders have flagged challenges. Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi described the implementation as rushed, citing technical issues, inadequate training, and the exclusion of rural suppliers. “We are frozen; we cannot procure,” he said, pointing to difficulties in pilot counties such as Busia, Elgeyo-Marakwet, and Makueni.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi defended the program, noting that all national and county government entities are now registered on the e-GP platform, with 87 percent of state corporations already onboard. He added that extensive training has been conducted for procurement officers across the country.
The e-GP initiative is part of the administration’s broader agenda to digitize services, fight graft, and improve efficiency. However, resistance from county governments, supplier concerns, and the ongoing court case have placed the system under close scrutiny.
