SPEECH BY DIRECTOR GENERAL, PPRA DURING LAUNCH OF 2019 – 2023 STRATEGIC PLAN
Remarks by Maurice Juma, Director General, Public Procurement Regulatory Authority during the PPRA’s new brand identity and strategic plan launch on July 16, 2019 at Movenpick Hotel Nairobi
Good morning. I would like to begin by thanking all of you for joining us today as we open a new chapter on a very key component of service delivery to Kenyans.
Public procurement forms a critical facet of Kenya’s financial management system. This system has undergone reforms that are aimed at enhancing efficiency of utilization of public resources; ensuring fiscal stability, which is key to creating an enabling environment for private sector led growth; and strengthens governance and transparency in the management of public finances.
One of the key achievements of the public financial management reforms was the enactment of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act (PPADA), 2005 which became operational on January 1st 2007 with the gazettement of the Public Procurement and Disposal Regulations in 2006.
The Act inter alia established a semi-autonomous oversight body, Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA), Public Procurement Oversight Advisory Board (PPOAB) and Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB).
On January 7, 2016, a new law governing procurement and assets disposal by public entities in Kenya, known as the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, No. 33 of 2015 (the “Act”) came into force.
This Act repealed the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 which was one of the laws governing public procurement in Kenya. In addition, the Act established an Authority known as the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), which was previously known as the Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA).
Following the legal changes, PPRA undertook a rebranding exercise to develop a new brand supported by communications efforts to introduce and rollout the new brand. In particular, this was geared towards aligning the brand promise of the organization to the expectations of its internal and external stakeholders.
The transition from the Public Procurement Oversight Authority is a key milestone in the monitoring and management of public procurement systems in Kenya.
The Authority has therefore been in transition since 2016 when the current procurement and disposal law was enacted In the Strategic Plan that expired in 2018, the Authority managed to offer capacity building to 41,431 individuals from procuring entities, Small and Medium Enterprises and members of the preference and reservations target groups; carried out 380 procurement assessments, 39 contract audits and 52 procurement reviews, and on a quarterly basis issued the Average Market Price Index to guide procuring entities on applicable prices for common user items.
In an effort to devolve its services closer to the people, the Authority is in the process of operationalising regional offices across the country. In respect to this, offices for Coast, Western and North Rift regions have so far been operationalised and physically situated in Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret respectively. On the same, PPRA has secured offices in Nakuru and Nyeri to cover South Rift and Central regions respectively.
In conclusion, I would like to appeal to procurement Entities and those who do business with the government to uphold integrity and always remember that the growth of Kenya’s economy and the realisation of the Big 4 Agenda can only be achieved through prudent and efficient use of Kenya’s resources.
It now gives me great pleasure to welcome the Chairman, Public Procurement and Regulatory Board, to address us.
Maurice Juma
Director General