Mbadi: Even God will not allow e-procurement to fail
By Luke Oluoch, September 1, 2025Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has hit out at the opposers of the government’s e-procurement model, stressing that even God would not allow the system to fail.
Mbadi, while hailing the model as key in redressing the misuse and theft of public money, chastised Members of Parliament’s resistance to the newly adopted digital system, telling them their prayers are doomed
While revealing levels of compliance with the new system by counties and several government departments, the CS stated that there will be no turning back on the system.
Unfair to Kenyans
“We have counties that are already procuring on the e-platform, like Kisii and Kitui counties. Same to the government agencies such as the EACC. They are also procuring. Meanwhile, we have others who are still sitting there and waiting for it to fail. Your prayers will not work. God cannot be that unfair to people of Kenya,” the CS said on Monday, September 1, 2025, during an address at the 30th anniversary of KRA in Nairobi.
His comments come after President William Ruto also declared a firm war on corruption in government procurement, warning that officials who resist reforms have no place in his administration.
“Kuna watu wengi wazoea kandarasi ya ukora, kitu ya shillingi mbili tunanunua na shillingi 10 kama serikali kwa sababu ya procurement ya ukora ya quotation hapo. Tumesema tunaweka e-procurement. Wacha ijulikane imenunuliwa pesa ngapi na imeuziwa serikali na nani, na mbona mtu wa shillingi mbili hakupata hio kandarasi na mtu wa shillingi kumi akapata,” Ruto said.
Ruto emphasised that e-procurement is non-negotiable and is meant to seal loopholes that have drained billions of shillings from public coffers. He told government workers that they either align with the reforms or find other jobs outside public service.
“We are going to implement e-procurement, and there is no going back. Any official who is not ready to work with us in e-procurement wanaeza toka kwa serikali watafute kazi ingine,” the President warned.
By digitising the procurement process, the government hopes to end tender cartels and ensure that taxpayers’ money is used prudently.