PUBLIC PROCUREMENT COMPLIANCE AND SERVICE DELIVERY OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS IN WESTERN KENYA

Abstract

The establishment of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act 2015 was to facilitate openness, full disclosure and achievement of value for money in all expenditures by devolved county governments. Nonetheless, the county governments have been facing serious problems in making procurement publicly compliant. Proper audit filled a large proportion of money used in paying untoward workers or imaginary firms and suppliers that did not exist in the county governments during the financial year 2023/24. The Kenya public service commission procurement compliance rating shows western region counties were not up to standards since Vihiga County registered 57 percent of procurement compliance and 43 percent risk rating. Kakamega had 51 percent compliance rating and risk rating of 49 percent, Busia County had 53 percent compliance rating and 47 percent risk rating, and lastly Bungoma County had 52 percent compliance rating and risk rating of 48 percent. With significant low compliances, the study targets this region with the intentions of resolving the risk ratings. This study therefore sought to investigate the influence of public procurement compliance on service delivery of county governments in Kenya. Specific objectives of the study were to determine the influence of procurement ethics on service delivery of county governments in Western Kenya, to establish the influence of contract management on service delivery of county governments in Western Kenya and to analyze the influence of competitive tendering on service delivery of county governments in Western Kenya. The study was guided by three theories, agency theory being the leading theory based on its tenets that harness the study variables. It further presents stakeholder theory that guides contract management and management support variables. It was also guided by ethics theory that guides ethical procurement construct. The study covered 4 counties in western region. The study employed a descriptive research design. The study population was 96 respondents drawn from the county procurement department staff, internal audit, and county treasury and were all reached through census. Closed ended questions were used to gather data. Pilot study was conducted in Trans Nzoia County government where the pilot test was done to ascertain whether the instruments were valid and reliable. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted. Inferential statistical approaches included regression and correlation analysis. Descriptive analyses used were frequencies and percentages while data was presented by use of tables and graphs. The study found that procurement ethics, contract management and competitive tendering had positive significant effect on service delivery for county governments in Western region, Kenya, 0thereby 0rejecting 0the 0study's 0null 0hypotheses. The county has a contract execution program that enables service delivery and that the county ensures all parties to the project adhere to the contract terms. Measures were availed to curb non-compliance and preparation on an annual consolidated procurement financial plan before initiating procurement processes were in practice. The study recommends that County governments should strive to implement ethical procurement procedures. Projects should be subjected to public procurement procedures to ensure that favoritism and non procedural approaches to project award are avoided.