Uhuru: No new govt projects until ongoing ones are completed

President Uhuru Kenyatta. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

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Summary

• Projects directly aligned to the Big Four Agenda may be exempted but will require written authorisation.
• Accounting officers will be held responsible if they sanction new projects without express authority from the National Treasury.
• Directive aimed at stopping wastage of resources and the habit of government agencies abandoning incomplete projects before jumping onto others.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has issued a directive freezing all new government projects until those that are ongoing are completed.

The president issued the directive to all government accounting officers whom he warned would be held responsible if they sanction new projects without express authority from the National Treasury.

President Kenyatta said the directive is aimed at stopping wastage of resources and the habit of government agencies abandoning incomplete projects before jumping onto others.

“There will be no new projects that will be embarked on until you complete those that are ongoing,” said the President.

He spoke at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre where he addressed a meeting bringing together all government accounting officers including principal secretaries, parastatal heads, vice-chancellors of public universities and chairmen of state corporations.

Written authorisation

The president said projects that might be exempt from the freeze will be only those that are directly aligned to the Big Four Agenda but even then there must be a written authorisation from the National Treasury.

“Even if new projects are aligned to the Big Four they cannot be started without express authority from CS or PS of the National Treasury,” said President Kenyatta.

President Kenyatta warned that government officials who embark on new projects before finishing ongoing initiatives without authorisation will be held responsible.

At the same time, President Kenyatta announced that the Government will soon launch a new internet portal where all procurements will be publicised.

The president said all procurements, tenders and contracts will be advertised on the portal to create transparency in order to safeguard public resources from theft.

“All procurement officers have been taken through the operations of the portal and they have given their feedback. The portal will be launched soon,” the Head of State said.

Accountability

President Kenyatta added that the portal will help create accountability because Kenyans will be able to see the processes followed in awarding of tenders.

The Head of State urged the officers to know that Kenyans expect them to be guardians of public resources and assured Kenyans that the renewed war against corruption will go on.

Further, the president told all those who act within the law that there should be nothing to fear.