Exactly one year ago today, thousands of young Kenyans mobilised to protest against punitive taxation, runaway debt, and a broken political economy. It was a historic moment; peaceful, powerful, and profoundly organised by Kenya\u2019s youth.<\/p>\n
Today, June 25, 2025, they are back.<\/strong><\/p>\n Back on the streets. Back online. Back demanding change.<\/p>\n This time, it\u2019s not just about one Finance Bill. It\u2019s about a deeper, systemic failure<\/strong>: a government that continues to extract more than it delivers. And while taxes dominate the headlines, the real pressure point is public spending, <\/strong>especially how contracts are awarded, who benefits, and whether public money serves the public good.<\/p>\n That pressure point is called procurement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Procurement is how government budgets come to life. Whether it\u2019s building roads, supplying hospitals, or digitising public services, it all begins with a tender.<\/p>\n But procurement in Kenya has long suffered from:<\/p>\n Despite reforms, procurement remains a black box to most citizens. And yet, it accounts for more than 30% of government expenditure.<\/strong><\/p>\n If we\u2019re serious about economic reform, this is the place to start.<\/p>\n \u201cStop wasting our taxes.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cWe need jobs and opportunities.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cWe don\u2019t trust government decisions.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cWe want accountability.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cLeaders flaunt ill-gotten wealth on TikTok while the economy suffers.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cThis Finance Bill is punishing us for their failures.\u201d<\/strong> The path forward isn\u2019t paved by anger alone. The real solution lies in good governance<\/strong>, radical transparency<\/strong>, a justice system that punishes the corrupt<\/strong>, and a procurement process where merit wins<\/strong> and inclusion is the standard<\/strong>, not the exception.<\/p>\n Only then can public money begin to serve public good and restore the trust that has been lost.<\/p>\n Kenya\u2019s youth aren\u2019t just angry \u2014 they\u2019re ready<\/em>. Many have registered businesses, acquired KRA PINs, learned to bid, and are eager to build. But they\u2019re kept out by red tape, favouritism, and bureaucracy.<\/p>\n Fair and transparent procurement gives this generation the platform it deserves.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just about protests in the streets, it\u2019s about creating value in the economy.<\/p>\n We now know what happens when a generation feels ignored: they mobilise. But real transformation happens when systems change.<\/p>\n Procurement should no longer be seen as a backroom activity for bureaucrats; it is a frontline of governance<\/strong>. If we get it right:<\/p>\n That\u2019s the message today\u2019s protesters are sending. One year later, little has changed. But their voices are louder, smarter, and more coordinated.<\/p>\n If we want progress, we must move beyond one-off protests and fix the systems that feed public anger. And that begins with reimagining procurement as a tool for justice, not capture<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Because the real revolution is in how we spend<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Despite reforms, procurement remains a black box to most citizens. And yet, it accounts for more than 30% of government expenditure. If we\u2019re serious about economic reform, this is the place to start.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[296,334],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nProcurement: Where Policy Becomes Practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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What Protesters Are Saying \u2014 And What It Reveals About Procurement<\/h2>\n
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\u2192 Billions are lost each year to inflated, fictitious, or unnecessary tenders that deliver little to no public value.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\u2192 Youth-owned and community-based businesses are routinely locked out of public contracts, despite being qualified and ready.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\u2192 Procurement remains opaque \u2014 there\u2019s no visibility into who gets awarded tenders, how decisions are made, or what value is delivered.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\u2192 Supplier performance is rarely tracked. Failed or abandoned projects go unpunished, and public funds disappear without consequence.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\u2192 Corrupt procurement practices enrich a select few, while the rest of the population faces rising costs and economic insecurity.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\u2192 A dysfunctional procurement system fuels public debt, waste, and the need to extract more revenue through harsh taxation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFixing Procurement Is Fixing the System<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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A Generation That Protests Is Ready to Compete<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s Move from Protest to Policy<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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The Tender Is Still Political, And the Streets Know It!<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cYou can’t tax people into poverty and then tender your friends into prosperity.\u201d<\/em><\/h4>\n