NAIROBI, Kenya – National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has reaffirmed that the government will not abandon e-procurement, dismissing claims that a Treasury circular mandating its use had been revoked.
Speaking during the Development Partnership Forum on Thursday, Mbadi stressed that all government officers are legally bound to comply with the directive and warned against attempts to use Parliament as an excuse to revert to manual procurement.
“There has been contention that e-procurement was revoked. Let me be clear: Parliament has not revoked anything. If any government officer is going to use that as an excuse, I will not accept it,” Mbadi said.
He explained that the circular—like Treasury directives on zero-based budgeting and the Treasury Single Account—remains in force as part of broader reforms to strengthen transparency and efficiency in public financial management.
Mbadi dismissed reports that the policy was facing parliamentary pushback, insisting that the National Assembly has no role in approving Treasury circulars.
“I have issued circulars to guide government officers on procurement processes. When I issue circulars on e-procurement, questions arise, yet Parliament has not revoked any circular, and there is no legal requirement to present them for approval,” he clarified.
The CS reminded the forum that during his parliamentary vetting, legislators supported his pledge to implement e-procurement, making their current objections inconsistent.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who also addressed the forum, backed Mbadi’s stance, underscoring the government’s rejection of manual procurement despite implementation hurdles.
“We must resolve these challenges and implement e-procurement because we will not revert to the manual procurement system,” Kindiki said.
The firm position comes amid reports of disagreements in Parliament over the mandatory use of the e-procurement platform, with some lawmakers questioning its rollout in counties and state agencies.
