The government will not back down from its push to digitize the procurement of goods and services, President William Ruto has said.
During a church service at Saint Peter’s ACK Cathedral in Alego Usonga, Siaya County, the President stated that government officials resisting the new e-procurement system are beneficiaries of the old one, but their resistance will fail.
“Procurement and accounting officers do not want this program because they have been benefiting from the old system,” he said, adding, “No amount of blackmail and intimidation will force us to go back. Any government official who is not willing to use the electronic procurement system can resign and pursue other interests.”
The e-procurement system, launched in July 2025, will be the sole platform for all public procurement processes. President Ruto said digitizing government services promotes efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
“We are putting this e-procurement in place so that everybody can know how much an item was bought for and who sold it to the government,” he explained.
He also noted that the Social Health Authority’s (SHA) digital systems have already identified fraudsters trying to benefit unjustly.
“The defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) accumulated a staggering KSh30 billion debt because its systems were weak and opaque. We have eliminated all that in SHA,” he stated.
He added that the government will not honor pending NHIF claims without first verifying them to weed out fake ones from genuine ones.
The President highlighted several development projects in Siaya, including KSh24 billion for 8,000 affordable housing units, 18 new markets, and 11,000-bed student hostels.
He also announced that road funding for the county has increased from KSh500 million in 2024 to KSh2.5 billion this year, with an additional KSh1.5 billion planned.
“In the next year, you will see a noticeable difference in the road network not only in Siaya, but also across the country,” he said.
In addition, the government is spending KSh300 billion in locally-raised funds to complete stalled roads and begin new ones nationwide.
Other projects in Siaya include KSh1.8 billion to connect 14,000 households to electricity, KSh550 million for modernizing the local stadium, and KSh500 million for a hospital.
The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) will also begin construction of a pier in Usenge, accompanied by a new market.
The President thanked former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for working with him, stating that Kenyans will achieve more when united.
“I stand here in Siaya and say thank you to Raila for agreeing to work with me in the broad-based government to accelerate Kenya’s development,” he said.
He concluded by saying that Kenya has immense potential, but requires courageous and visionary leadership to achieve greatness.
The event concluded with the President commissioning the KSh1 billion Ugunja-Sega-Ukwala Water Supply and Sanitation Project and laying the foundation stone for a KSh70 million market at Sidindi center.
