Concerns have been raised about the pace of county development work, as most devolved governments have not yet moved to the electronic procurement platform more than a year after it was introduced.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi told senators that only 20 of Kenya’s 47 counties have adopted the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system.
This comes despite wide training for procurement officers, contractors and suppliers.
The disclosure led senators to ask whether counties are procuring goods and works for key development projects and public services.
The concern grew that delayed uptake of the digital platform may be holding back the execution of county programmes.
Mbadi made the remarks while appearing before the Senate plenary on Wednesday.
Counties using the platform include Kisumu, Siaya, Murang’a, Uasin Gishu, Vihiga, Baringo, Busia, Nandi, Bomet and Samburu.
The rest are Migori, Homa Bay, Trans Nzoia, Lamu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Tharaka Nithi, Kakamega, West Pokot, Machakos and Kajiado.
“The remaining counties, which are absent from the system, did not have any contract recorded there,” Mbadi told the House, raising concerns among lawmakers over procurement and development work in those areas.
Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi led senators in questioning how counties that have not migrated are carrying out development projects and buying essential goods and services.
“If county use of this system is below 30 per cent, how can development continue? They are not procuring,” Murungi said.
His concerns were shared by Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, who sought clarification on how county governments continue operating, especially where critical services require regular procurement.
“Governors who appear before the County Public Investments Committee say they cannot procure because the system is not working. How then are they surviving, especially when essential services are needed?” Oketch asked.
Mbadi, however, rejected claims that the platform was faulty and said some county governments were deliberately resisting its rollout.
“There is no reason counties should avoid this system because its stability has been guaranteed. We have trained contractors and suppliers,” the CS said.
He said the Treasury had allowed counties to use alternative procurement methods only during emergencies or where essential services such as healthcare and education could be disrupted.
The Treasury formally launched the e-GP system on April 7, 2025, and directed all public procuring entities to use the platform for procurement processes from July 1, 2025.
Mbadi told senators the system is grounded in Article 227 of the Constitution, which requires public procurement to be fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective.
He said the platform automates procurement from tender advertisement and bid submission to evaluation and contract awards, sharply reducing the human involvement traditionally linked to corruption, favouritism and bribe demands.
“The system reduces human interaction, which has traditionally been a major source of corruption, favouritism and solicitation of facilitation fees,” Mbadi said.
He said the platform is built on the Open Contracting Data Standard, enabling procurement information to be published for public scrutiny and allowing oversight bodies, suppliers and citizens to track tenders from submission to award.
Data presented to the Senate showed that 1,540 public procuring entities had been registered and onboarded onto the platform by March 5, 2026.
Of these, 640 entities had already published their consolidated annual procurement plans through the system.
In addition, 684 procuring entities had published contracts worth about Sh3.78 billion through the portal.
However, Mbadi acknowledged that it was still too early to establish the actual financial savings generated by the platform because implementation is at an early stage.
“There is no verified figure for total savings realised from the e-GP rollout yet, as the system is in the initial phase of take-off,” he said.
Even so, he maintained that the platform is expected to deliver substantial savings once it is fully rolled out across government.
“I call upon this honourable House to support this critical public finance management reform, which upon maturity is expected to give value for money and secure savings of up to Sh85 billion,” Mbadi said.
To support implementation, the Treasury has deployed 269 trainers of trainers to assist procurement officers in both levels of government.
More than 2,000 procurement officers have already received hands-on training, while another 15,000 are taking part in virtual training sessions.
The government has also established a help desk and partnered with the Kenya School of Government to train public finance management officers and other stakeholders countrywide.
Weekly webinars for suppliers and contractors are also being held, while support points have been established in Huduma Centres across the country to ease registration and onboarding.
Mbadi further disclosed that the platform is being linked with other government systems, including IFMIS, KRA iTax, the Business Registration Service and population registries to improve verification and strengthen accountability.
He said the digital procurement platform is part of the government’s broader Digital Superhighway Agenda, which seeks to move 80 per cent of public services online.
The Senate’s concerns now put pressure on counties that have yet to adopt the system, with lawmakers warning that failure to embrace the platform could weaken transparency, accountability and the pace of development projects at the devolved level.
The Senate debate highlights a major gap in Kenya’s e-procurement reforms, with 27 counties yet to adopt a system meant to improve transparency and reduce corruption. Senators fear the low uptake could slow development projects and service delivery. Treasury CS John Mbadi’s claim that governors are deliberately resisting the platform points to deeper governance and accountability challenges. Full adoption could significantly reduce procurement irregularities and save taxpayers up to Sh85 billion.