Page 27 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 15

Leadership
Leadership

BLIND, STUPID, SELFISH

or just Heartless?

Chioma Phillips

MPs reject Bill to promote and will compromise standards of “Requirement for foreign tenderers partic-
local suppliers in tenders”, the infrastructure projects. ipating in local tenders to source all their
reads a headline in the Busi- locally manufactured supplies from local
“ness Daily Africa from 17th The proposal in the Public Procure- contractors is not feasible,” the commit-
August 2021. The article by John ment and Asset Disposal (Amend- tee said in its report of the Bill.
Mutua goes on to say that: “Par- ment) Bill 2020 aimed to boost the Proponents of the Bill said that the
liament has shot down a proposed local manufacturers and spur job amendments will protect local jobs
law that sought to compel foreign creation. The Bill sought to amend and curb repatriation of profits
contractors to source all products section 157(9) of the Public Pro- by the foreign companies that are
and services locally if available, curement and Assets Disposal Act increasingly taking up construction
dealing a blow to Kenyan firms. The 2015 that require all foreign ten- works.”
Committee on Finance and Nation- derers participating in international
al Planning rejected the Bill, amid deals to source at least 40 per cent In response, the Kenya Association
concerns that some of the locally of their supplies from local contrac- of Manufacturers CEO, Phyllis
made products are of low quality tors. Wakiaga said, “By rejecting the Bill,

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