Corruption in the Public Procurement Process in Kenya: Case Study of the Ministry of Devolution and Planning

Abstract

Public procurement process in Kenya plays significant role in ensuring effective control and supply of inputs, which are important for all levels of any establishment. It plays a key role in promoting good management that prevents the potential of corruption in the use of public resources. However the problem of poor governance and corruption remains one of the main obstacles to economic development in the country. There has been a series of reforms aimed at streamlining public procurement process in the country, however the bulk of corrupt practices still occur in procurement whose explanation could be found in the changing aspects of social, Economic and political state of affairs. This study sought to answer the questions; to what extent collusion, pressure from senior officers, pressure from society, social status and poor remuneration contribute to corruption in the public procurement process in Kenya. In answering these questions, the study adopted descriptive research targeting sample size of 41 respondents out of a total population of 400 officers. With a response rate of 92 percent, 96.4 percent of variations in corruption perception are explained by the six variables. The results further shows that majority of the staff either agreed or strongly agreed that collusion, poor remuneration, pressure from top management, pressure from society, social status and protection of corrupt officials drive corruption perception in the Ministry.