The National Treasury has reaffirmed that the electronic government procurement system (eGP) will continue to be rolled out, despite Parliament annulling a circular mandating its use and a High Court suspending its enforcement.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi told the National Assembly’s Committee on Implementation of House Resolutions that the government remains committed to e-procurement, stressing that it is a legal and constitutional obligation aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in public spending.
“Even if you annulled the PPRA Circular No 04/2025, we have a circular that I issued in March and another circular by the Head of Public Service issued in June this year on eGP,” Mbadi said on Thursday.
“We have the Public Finance Management Act, Regulations 2020, and Article 227 of the Constitution that give me power to provide a system for public procurement. We are telling our officers to go e-procurement. There are those resisting and waiting for miracles to happen but that will not happen. We are not going back to manual procurement.”
Parliament had earlier revoked the directive requiring all public entities to adopt the digital platform, arguing that it violated Section 77 of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, which allows both manual and electronic methods.
The annulled circular had been intended to make e-tendering compulsory for all public procurement.
The High Court, three days ago, suspended the mandatory use of eGP for all government and county entities, pending a petition filed by the Council of Governors and four other parties. Justice Bahati Mwamuye issued the order as a temporary measure while the case is considered.
Mbadi, however, told lawmakers that Treasury will not reverse the transition to electronic procurement. He argued that legal provisions and constitutional mandates empower him to enforce the system. Meanwhile, the committee chaired by Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala cautioned that a rushed rollout could disadvantage suppliers and disrupt existing contracts.
