The law requires county governments and national governments establish public notice boards, ICT-based platforms, and websites and conduct Town Hall meetings where they can publicise tenders.
They are not only supposed to publicise tenders but also tell the public to whom they have been awarded. Then the general public can say, “We know so and so and that so and so has the potential and capacity to supply or do the work as awarded.”
Sorely lacking is adherence to the procurement procedures of openness, accountability and transparency.
What needs to be done is that the state agency that oversights procurements needs to do more and work more diligently.
These agencies do oversight, including the EACC, because it is unethical for someone to masquerade as a PWD or to pose as a youth or woman when he or she is not.
We need a lot of awareness creation and openness so that some of these things can be realised before they reach the level of payment.
The most important thing is openness so that some of these things can be nipped in the bud before they reach the level of payments and filing returns.
What is ailing us is failure to abide by Chapter Six of the Constitution on ethics and integrity.
If we are sincere about only wanting people with ethics and integrity, if some of us believe that integrity ought to start with citizens, then the citizens need to make noise when ‘their’ people are caught.
Citizens themselves need to make these values part and parcel of citizenship.
Citizens must not elect people who are tainted with unethical practices and criminal tendencies.
When we value the principles and values of good governance and adhere to Chapter Six of the Constitution, some of these malpractices can be avoided completely.
Executive director of Kenya National Civil Society Centre spoke to the Star
