Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi says the government will fully enforce the e-government procurement (e-GP) system across all public entities from July 1, 2026, marking a major milestone in the country’s transition to fully digital public procurement.
Speaking during the presentation of the 2026/27 Budget Statement in the National Assembly on Thursday, Mbadi said the reform will eliminate manual procurement processes and close all exemptions, stating: “Beginning July 1, 2026 there will be no exemption to procure outside the system,” as the government pushes for greater transparency and accountability in public spending.
The e-GP system, which has been progressively rolled out since its official launch in 2025, is designed to digitise the entire procurement cycle—from procurement planning and supplier registration to tendering, evaluation, contract award, and payment processing.
The platform is also integrated with key government systems such as business registration databases and the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), enabling real-time monitoring of public procurement transactions.
According to the Treasury, uptake has grown steadily across government institutions. So far, 1,543 procuring entities have been registered on the platform, more than 40,000 suppliers onboarded, over 22,000 government officers trained, and at least 8,000 tenders published through the system.
In addition, 652 annual procurement plans have been uploaded, reflecting increasing institutional adoption across ministries, departments, agencies, and county governments.
Mbadi said the next phase of implementation will focus on onboarding remaining entities, including schools and other public institutions, supported by continuous training and change management to improve system adoption.
He acknowledged initial challenges such as user resistance and legal disputes but said reforms, including the proposed Public Procurement and Asset Disposal (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will strengthen the legal framework for electronic procurement and framework contracts.
Globally, e-procurement systems are recognised as key tools for improving efficiency and reducing corruption risks in public spending.
The World Bank notes that digital procurement platforms enhance transparency and accountability by enabling end-to-end tracking of government contracts and improving competition in public tenders.
The The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development also highlights that digital procurement reforms improve value for money and strengthen integrity in public procurement systems by reducing human discretion and increasing data visibility.
Mbadi said the reforms will ensure that “every shilling allocated through this budget delivers maximum value to Kenyans,” as Kenya moves toward a fully digitised and accountable procurement system.