BY Mercy Osongo
Nominated Member of Kisii County Assembly Lilian Gor has moved a motion in the assembly seeking to activate the Public Procurement Act of 2015, which reserves 30% of tender awards to special groups including persons with disabilities, Women, and youth.
The Act has never been implemented, and Gor said this is discriminatory against people with disabilities (PWDs), women, and the youth.
“By denying disadvantaged groups procurement opportunities, we are missing out on revenue collection targets, given that women make up 50% of the population,” she said.
Gor’s motion is also geared towards productively engaging the youth who acquire essential technical skills from polytechnics to improve the county’s economic welfare.
“Since disadvantaged groups often lack the capital to undertake contracts, the passing of this bill will enable them to partner with the well-endowed through subcontracting to access tenders,” she said.
In addition, the MCA said the move will also assist the national government in compiling a database of the youth with technical skills, such as painting, plumbing, and mechanics so that they can be incorporated in the National Housing Programme activities.
Gor asked her counterparts at the county assembly to support the bill due to its immense benefits.