Kenya Railways has intensified efforts to enhance the participation of youth, women, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and other eligible citizen contractors in public procurement through sensitisation forums.
Kenya Railways General Manager of Supply Chain Management, Benedict Kiema, said that the forums are focused on sensitizing contractors from special interest groups to build capacity on public procurement requirements, tender preparation, contract management and compliance with procurement regulations.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), during one of such forums, Kiema reaffirmed the corporation’s commitment to promoting inclusive procurement and increasing access to business opportunities for special groups in line with government policy.
“Kenya Railways remains committed to promoting inclusive procurement and expanding access to business opportunities for youth, women, persons with disabilities and other eligible citizen contractors in line with government policy,” said Kiema.
The exercise was held in line with the Government’s procurement reservation policy, which allocates at least 30 per cent of public procurement opportunities to youth, women and persons with disabilities, while also promoting the 40 per cent local content in government procurement.
The forum also placed significant emphasis on the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in public procurement and economic empowerment programs.
Participants were informed that PWD-owned enterprises are among the special groups eligible to benefit from the 30 per cent procurement opportunities reserved under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) framework.
Kenya Railways officials encouraged persons with disabilities to take advantage of the reserved opportunities by registering their enterprises, maintaining compliance with procurement requirements and actively participating in tendering processes.
The sensitization forum further highlighted the importance of attaining the two per cent target for persons with disabilities, noting that increased participation in procurement and business opportunities would not only enhance economic inclusion but also promote self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods.
Officials observed that empowering PWD-owned businesses through access to government contracts remains a critical step towards reducing inequalities and ensuring that development opportunities reach all segments of society.
Participants were, therefore, urged to leverage the available support mechanisms and capacity-building initiatives to improve their competitiveness and increase their chances of securing government tenders.
Jedidah Njeri, a Kenya Railways officer, led participants through key aspects of the procurement process, emphasizing the need for contractors to understand tender requirements and maintain compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
She underscored the importance of submitting complete and properly organized tender documents, noting that quality documentation and proper pagination remain critical factors during tender evaluation, failure to which it would lead to disqualification from the procurement process.
Participants were also taken through provisions of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (PPAD) and the role of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) in ensuring transparency, accountability and fairness in public procurement.
Njeri highlighted a number of procurement opportunities reserved for youth, women and persons with disabilities.
These include, supply and delivery of flowers, provision of cleaning services ,provision of garbage collection services, supply and delivery of newspapers, journals and magazines, supply and delivery of mobile phone airtime, provision of printing services, supply and delivery of office common user items, provision of labor contracts, provision of motor vehicle repairs, provision of repair services for office equipment and machines, event organizing, design and branding of promotional materials such as t-shirts, caps, banners and posters, photocopy and videography services.
Njeri encouraged eligible contractors to take advantage of the reserved opportunities by ensuring compliance with procurement requirements and maintaining valid registration and certification documents.
The initiative is expected to empower businesses owned by youth, women and persons with disabilities to effectively compete for available procurement opportunities and contribute to national development through participation in government projects.
The forum highlighted various requirements that contractors must meet when undertaking government projects, including performance securities, contract administration and procedures governing contract variations.
The initiative is expected to empower businesses owned by youth, women and persons with disabilities to effectively compete for available procurement opportunities and contribute to national development through participation in government projects.
The corporation noted that increasing awareness and strengthening the capacity of special groups remains critical in ensuring equitable access to procurement opportunities and achieving the government’s broader agenda of economic empowerment and inclusion.
The sensitization forum forms part of ongoing efforts by Kenya Railways to promote transparency, enhance supplier participation and ensure that procurement opportunities benefit a wider segment of the population.
By Sharon Njeru and Zipporah Odionyi
