President Uhuru Kenyatta urges firms to relax tender rules

President Uhuru Kenyatta has called upon private businesses to relax procurement rules for the marginalised groups.

He said this will supplement Government’s bid to tackle high unemployment and poverty among the youth, women and people with disabilities. He said his Government would however strive to create an enabling environment to ensure the private sector thrives and creates more employment opportunities.

“My Government has implemented an affirmative action for youth, women and people with disabilities in public procurement. That is why we directed that 30 per cent of all Government procurement be reserved for the target groups,” said Uhuru. “It is my wish that the private sector emulates us, as far as it can, in instituting similar programmes for the marginalised groups.” He said the challenges the country is facing such as poverty, youth unemployment and inequality cannot be resolved without the energy and enterprise of the private sector.

He said the country needs visionary leadership to catalyse trade, investment and industrialisation in the economy while at the same time promoting Kenya’s external trade.

“It remains the case that the private sector creates a substantial number of jobs. My Government therefore will do all it can to ease the cost of doing business. It is the least we can do if the private sector is to grow as rapidly as we know it can,” he said.

“In turn, I and other Kenyans can expect that the private sector will do all it can to help our young people find dignified work.”

Below standards

The President spoke during the official re-launch of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) in Nairobi yesterday.

The chamber, an autonomous non-profit making organisation was established in 1965 to articulate and lobby for the interest of the business community in every sector of the economy. But the chamber, which has over 10,000 members countrywide, has in the recent past faced difficulties arising from leadership and management that fell below the expected standards.

“I note with gratitude that the challenges have since been resolved and that the restructuring we gather to celebrate today is a reflection of that happy outcome,” said Uhuru.

Uhuru lauded the Chamber for its role in promoting and strengthening linkages between the micro, small and medium enterprises and larger enterprises to facilitate inclusive growth and export expansion.