The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget has urged the county government of Mandera to enhance its procurement reporting and compliance systems.

Appearing before the committee on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Mandera governor Mohamed Khalif clarified concerns raised by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority regarding procurement records for the financial years 2023 to 2025.

He told the committee that the county did not undertake direct procurements, contract variations, or terminations during the period under review, arguing that the absence of such entries should not be interpreted as non-compliance.

Impact of system disruptions

The committee also heard that early system disruptions and network challenges affected the rollout of the Public Procurement Information Portal, though the platform remains the central reporting tool used by more than 32,000 procuring entities nationwide.

“While the county executive noted initial system downtime and local network challenges during the rollout of the Public Procurement Information Portal (PPIP), the PPRA highlighted that the platform remained the primary standard for over 32,000 procuring entities across the Republic of Kenya,” the statement read in part.

The committee stressed the need for stronger coordination between counties and regulatory agencies to ensure the timely submission of procurement data and improved transparency in public finance management.

Lawmakers noted that the objective of the session was not punitive but aimed at strengthening accountability frameworks and ensuring all procurement records are properly captured in national systems for audit and public reference.

“Moving forward, the Senate Finance Committee provided a clear roadmap, directing Mandera County to reconcile and upload all outstanding output reports for the affected financial years onto the PPIP platform,” the statement read.

Committee directions

The committee directed the county to reconcile and upload all outstanding procurement reports for the affected financial years into the PPIP system.

Senators further encouraged the county to institutionalise internal compliance-monitoring mechanisms, including routine reporting checklists and staff capacity-building programs.

“To conclude the constructive review, both the county government and the PPRA were requested to submit joint evidence of past correspondence to enable the committee to reconcile the communication timelines and finalise its report to the House on the matter,” the statement noted.