Government procurement and payment processes have come to a standstill, as the over 1000 senior procurement officers who were sent on compulsory leave, by the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, are yet to be recalled or replaced.
Their prolonged absence has impacted payments because those appointed in acting capacities do not have powers to authorise the same.
An officer reported to a local daily that, “The government is basically in paralysis. There are no goods or services being procured while payments have stalled.”
He further revealed that the government’s obligations now stood at about Ksh200 billion.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich underplayed the impact of the outstanding claims by explaining that the payments would commence soon.
The CS told KTN journalists, “We are starting to clear the pending bills, especially those owed to the youth under Access to Government Procurement Opportunities.”
The workers, who are still on a salary, had been sent home in June 2018 to pave way for investigations into their lifestyles.
One official expressed that “We were told to wait for a month, now it is close to five months. Although I earn a salary, I am still anxious as I do not know what is cooking.”
The move was in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’scommitment to creating a public service that served the needs and aspirations of Kenyans without taking undue advantage of their offices to enrich themselves.
In his Madaraka Day speech, Uhuru divulged that the officials would undergo fresh vetting, including polygraph testing, to determine their integrity and suitability.