That the number and value of public tenders published on the dedicated portal that tracks such awards is a sign that there is increasing transparency in the bidding processes, indicating the idea is gaining acceptance and the public is getting a chance to scrutinise the deals.
Set up through a presidential directive, the listing of the tenders on the special site allows the public to assess the basis of the awards, how they were assessed, who sat in the tender committees, and the value of contracts awarded for public projects.
In the financial year 2019/2020, the number went up to 1,338 tenders from 379 earlier, with a value of Sh52.43 billion from Sh7.72 billion respectively.
Although the value is considerably a drop in the ocean since the government is a leading buyer, the six-fold increase shows more credible suppliers will be willing to do business with the State.
It is also possible that such assessment can keep the unscrupulous companies and individuals at bay, thereby delivering value for money to the taxpayer.
Based on this positive development, we ask more ministries, departments and agencies to follow suit in the spirit of public participation as envisaged in the Constitution and urge the government to step up the campaign until all the agencies get the idea right.
In the end, there should be a reward for those getting it right while punishing those who are intentionally ignoring the order.
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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
