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{
    "id": 1145010,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1145010/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 209,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": "Government is being undertaken at Kshs1.7 million and yet, a similar classroom under the NG- CDF is being procured at Kshs950,000. Many are the times you clash with the locals to an extent that they believe that you want to damage their businesses. We do believe that with those market surveys, any procurement decision will be based on prevailing rates of construction or service deliveries. We do believe that market surveys will be objective enough. We might probably have to make an amendment so that we provide the mechanisms on how to undertake market surveys and any form of a review process to ensure that market surveys meet the typical standards of any survey. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the other issue that has been a bone of contention is the tender evaluation process and the entire procurement process. Generally, you cannot conclude any procurement process nowadays until after 28 days. Some days are for tender evaluation and another 14 days to give those who participated a notice that they have not been successful. This delays the implementation of projects, especially where an emergency case arises. If a roof is blown off in a primary school, it takes so long to procure a contractor to go and undertake those repairs. Where floods have washed away roads and bridges, it takes too long to procure the service of a contractor. The reduction from 21 days to 7 days will, indeed, support speedy implementation or execution of the projects in our country. Of course, every story has another side. The only danger is that many of those tenders will be pre-arranged. It is only those who are aware that will be able to procure. Over time, even though there is a provision that if it is complicated, the procurement officer can look at it in a different way. Under clause 10, it provides that a procurement entity that is unable to implement the Act on their own can seek the assistance of the National Treasury. This is also a very progressive approach. Since procurement is not an everyday activity in some organisations, there is really no need to establish a fully-fledged procurement department. However, this is a double-edged sword. The National Treasury or the Public Service Commission (PSC) can simply deny a procurement entity that is suspected to have a lot of funding proper structures so that the same is taken back to the National Treasury to perpetuate the ordinary cartels. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, as I conclude, it is important to note that many of the corruption cases emanate from the procurement process. Some of the cases that are negatively cited in any audit process are those where the process was not followed to the letter. The issue of capacity building is important. It is important to expand the so-called procurement professionals to allow as many members as possible to participate so that we are able to get the process right from the inception to the conclusion stage. We also believe that these amendments will go a long way to address corruption cases. I am happy and many Kenyans are happy with the heavy sentences that are being meted out by the various courts in this country for those who have been found culpable of embezzling public funds. The next Government of this country must borrow a leaf from President Uhuru Kenyatta for his fight against corruption. We must also laud the Judiciary for taking up that mantle and punishing heavily the people who are involved in corruption. Corruption has denied this country development and it is time we must talk carefully and take hard decisions on it. With those few remarks, I support and will of course bring amendments at the right time. Thank you."
}