Treasury cabinet secretary John Mbadi has doubled down on the government’s plan to enforce e-procurement across all state entities, despite a court ruling on Monday that declared adoption of the system optional.
In a statement posted on social media, Mbadi defended the initiative as a critical tool in tackling graft.
“Adoption of e-procurement will save this country millions of shillings being sucked by unscrupulous cartels. Once again let me assure the country, government is not blinking on this course,” he wrote.
The government has argued that digitising procurement will cut out middlemen and close loopholes long exploited in tendering processes.
Yet county governments have resisted the mandatory roll-out, saying they were not consulted adequately and citing concerns about autonomy. The court sided with the Council of Governors, ruling that while e-procurement is desirable, it cannot be imposed unilaterally by the national government.
The decision follows a string of high-profile rulings that have clipped President William Ruto’s agenda.
Supporters of e-procurement insist the system could revolutionise public spending, reducing leakages in ministries and counties where corruption scandals have been frequent.
The Council of Governors warned that rushing its rollout without addressing infrastructure gaps or legal frameworks risks creating fresh bottlenecks and court battles.
Mbadi’s remarks suggest the Treasury will continue pressing ahead despite legal and political setbacks. With governors holding firm and the judiciary wary of executive overreach, the fight over e-procurement is shaping up as the latest flashpoint in the broader contest between national reforms and institutional checks on state power.
