Kenya Power has awarded Sh3.5 billion in tenders to youth, women, and people living with disabilities (PWDs) during the 2024/25 financial year, marking a remarkable 470% increase from the previous year and the highest uptake in eight years.
The move highlights the state-owned company’s commitment to inclusive procurement and economic empowerment under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) framework.
According to Kenya Power’s General Manager for Supply Chain and Logistics, John Ngeno, the increase was the result of deliberate efforts to sensitize and engage special interest groups on available procurement opportunities.
“Last year, we were intentional in meeting and sensitizing the youth, women, and PWDs about procurement opportunities that exist for them within the Company. Our efforts have led to these impressive results,” Ngeno said.
Under the AGPO framework, public entities are required to allocate 30 per cent of their annual procurement budgets to youth, women, and PWD-owned businesses.
The Kenyan government's affirmative action initiative, launched in 2013, aims to facilitate the participation of enterprises owned by youth, women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in public procurement
In the 2024/25 financial year, youth-owned enterprises received the largest share of the contracts, securing Sh2.2 billion, followed by women-owned businesses at Sh1.25 billion and PWD-owned businesses at Sh66.7 million.
Ngeno highlighted the company’s plans to further enhance participation by these groups.
“Looking forward, we want to accelerate sensitization forums for these interest groups and include training that will focus on step-by-step guidance on how to bid. We have noted that PWDs often lag behind the other groups and therefore, we will also use these forums to obtain feedback from this group on the challenges they could be facing so that we tailor solutions for them,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of financial support in enabling effective participation.
Kenya Power will work collaboratively with financial institutions to create linkages that provide access to funding for youth, women, and PWD-owned enterprises, helping them compete more effectively in procurement processes.
The company also plans to carry out internal sensitization across all departments to encourage support for AGPO initiatives.
This includes prioritizing procurement of common user items for these groups and ensuring prompt payment to boost their cash flows, reinforcing inclusive and sustainable supply chain practices.
Kenya Power’s achievement demonstrates that proactive engagement, capacity building, and financial inclusion can significantly increase participation of historically marginalized groups in government procurement.
The company’s efforts serve as a model for other public entities seeking to empower youth, women, and PWDs in Kenya’s economic landscape.
