Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has raised concerns over Kenya’s public procurement system, accusing some companies of securing government contracts through political connections rather than genuine competition.

Olekina made the remarks while questioning the spending on a major hospital project in Narok, where he raised concerns over contracts that pushed the project’s reported value to more than Ksh1 billion.

The senator alleged that some firms involved in government tenders exist mainly because of their connections to powerful individuals.

He argued that such companies can win contracts, receive payments from taxpayers and fail to deliver projects that match the money spent.

Olekina said the situation raises serious questions about transparency, accountability and value for money in the use of public resources.

His comments come amid continued efforts by the government to digitise public procurement through the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system.

The digital system is intended to make government tendering more transparent by allowing procurement activities to be tracked electronically and reducing opportunities for manipulation.

However, concerns over politically connected businesses and questionable tender awards continue to fuel debate about whether existing procurement safeguards are strong enough.

The senator’s allegations also highlight the need for government agencies to ensure that companies awarded public contracts have the capacity and experience required to complete projects.

Olekina has called for greater scrutiny of government spending and stronger accountability to ensure taxpayers receive value for their money.

The concerns come at a time when public procurement remains a major focus of efforts to fight corruption and improve efficiency in government spending.