In a collaborative effort aimed at fortifying Kenya’s public infrastructure procurement process, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has granted technical assistance to the National Treasury and Economic Planning of the Government of Kenya.
This initiative, supported under USTDA’s Global Procurement Initiative (GPI), is set to elevate transparency and accountability within Kenya’s infrastructure development endeavours.
The grant agreement was inked by U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman on behalf of the U.S. government during a ceremony held in Nairobi.
Enoh T. Ebong, Director of USTDA, emphasised the significance of this grant, stating, “Through this grant, USTDA will deliver tangible resources that support smart public investments to develop high-quality infrastructure in Kenya.
” The aim is to establish predictable, high-standard criteria that enable U.S. companies to compete equitably for infrastructure opportunities based on the merits of their offerings.
Under the umbrella of the GPI, USTDA and the National Treasury’s Public Procurement Department have been formal partners since 2021.
The latest grant will finance additional training sessions, the development of an internal best-practices manual for procurement officials, and the creation of a public procurement guide aimed at enlightening vendors and suppliers about the new criteria for prospective bidders. These initiatives collectively seek to enhance transparency and ensure a level playing field for suppliers of top-tier infrastructure.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u expressed confidence in the partnership, affirming, “Our continued partnership with USTDA through this technical assistance grant will ensure that procurement officials have the requisite skills on how to integrate life-cycle cost analysis and best value determination in a fair, transparent manner.”
U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman echoed this sentiment, stating, “I believe this technical assistance will equip Kenyan procurement officials with the best-in-class tools to plan and award tenders, culminating in smarter, longer-term investments for infrastructure projects and overall savings to the Kenyan taxpayer.”
Since its inception in 2013, USTDA’s GPI has been instrumental in assisting public officials across its 16 partner countries in establishing and deploying best practices that assess the lifetime cost and value for money when making infrastructure investments.
This technical assistance initiative by USTDA aligns with the objectives of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, as it empowers public procurement officials to evaluate quality and sustainability when investing in infrastructure, thereby fostering robust and efficient infrastructure development in Kenya.
