The government will not relent in its push to take the procurement of the goods and services it buys on a digital platform, President William Ruto has said.
The President said government officials resisting the new e-procurement system are beneficiaries of the old system, but they will not succeed.
“Procurement and accounting officers do not want this programme because they have been benefiting from the old system,” he said.
He added: “No amount of blackmail and intimidation will force us to go back on the electronic procurement. Any government official who is not willing to use it can resign and go pursue other interests.”
He made the remarks during a church service at Saint Peter’s ACK Cathedral in Alego Usonga Constituency, Siaya County, on Sunday.
Siaya Governor James Orengo, Cabinet Secretaries Opiyo Wandayi (Energy) and John Mbadi (Treasury), Principal Secretaries, MPs, MCAs, among other leaders, were present.
The e-procurement system was launched in July 2025 and will be the sole platform for all public procurement processes.
President Ruto said digitisation of government services promotes efficiency, transparency and accountability.
“We have said 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 said.
He also pointed out that the Social Health Authority’s digital systems were able to identify fraudsters trying to unjustly benefit from the new health system.
“The defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund accumulated a staggering KSh30 billion debt because its systems were weak and opaque. We have eliminated all that in SHA,” he said.
The President maintained that the government will not honor pending NHIF claims without first verifying them to weed out the fake ones from the genuine ones.
On development projects in Siaya, the President said the government is spending a total of KSh24 billion this financial year to build 8,000 affordable housing units, 18 new markets, and 11,000-bed student hostels in the county.
He said the National Government has increased funding for roads in Siaya County from KSh500 million in 2024 to KSh2.5 billion this year, adding that this would be enhanced with another KSh1.5 billion in the course of this financial year.
“In the next one year, you will see a noticeable difference in the road network not only in Siaya, but also across the country,” he said.
The President said the government is spending KSh300 billions of locally raised funds to complete stalled roads and start new ones.
On electricity, he said KSh1.8 billion has been set aside to connect 14,000 households to power in the county.
Meanwhile, another KSh550 million has been allocated for the modernization of the local stadium and KSh500 million for a hospital, both in Siaya town.
Furthermore, President Ruto announced that the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) will soon commence the construction of a pier in Usenge, which will be accompanied by a new market.
The President thanked former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for agreeing to work with him in the broad-based government, saying Kenyans will achieve a lot 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 added that Kenya is a country of immense potential and requires bold leadership to take the country to the league of developed nations.
“There is no shortage of resources or plans. What stands between Kenya and greatness is lack of focused, patriotic, courageous and visionary leadership,” he said.
He pointed out that in just three years since he assumed office, savings at the National Social Security Fund have doubled from KSh320 billion to KSh640 billion.
Further, President Ruto cited reforms in the agriculture, education, and health sectors, which he said are now starting to deliver for ordinary Kenyans.
After the Sunday service, the President commissioned the KSh1 billion Ugunja-Sega-Ukwala Water Supply and Sanitation Project, which will provide more than 10 million liters of water every day to 20,000 households in the area.
He also laid the foundation stone for a modern KSh70 million market at Sidindi centre, Ugunja Constituency.
