Governors have called for the suspension of the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system until proper consultations and capacity building are undertaken.
In a statement issued Monday, Council of Governors (CoG) Chair Ahmed Abdullahi said the new procurement system, introduced by the National Treasury, had been enforced hastily and was already disrupting service delivery in counties.
“The roll-out was hasty, marred with inconsistencies and has disrupted service delivery in counties,” he said after an extraordinary council meeting in Nairobi,“Only three counties participated in the pilot, yet the system was enforced nationally before addressing the gaps identified.”The council noted that the lack of adequate sensitization and training had paralyzed procurement processes, particularly in critical sectors such as health.
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The CoG pointed out that the e-GP system, as currently implemented, undermines the “distinct status” of County Governments as provided in the Constitution,” Abdullahi stated.
He urged the Treasury to withdraw the directive until legal alignment and capacity building are completed.
The governors emphasized that consultations between the two levels of government were a constitutional requirement, warning that unilateral directives risk undermining devolution and service delivery.
