A day after President William Ruto dared leaders within his administration who oppose his policies, particularly the move to digital procurement, to quit, county chiefs have openly rejected the push to adopt the Electronic Government Procurement (eGP) system. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the governors hit back at the directive and Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi's insistence that all government agencies must migrate to the new platform.
The county bosses accused the Treasury of sidelining them in the rollout of the digital procurement system and dismissed claims that they were deliberately blocking reforms. They pointed to persistent flaws in the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), saying the same mistakes risk being repeated with the eGP.
Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, who also serves as the chairperson of the Council of Governors, addressing the press after an extraordinary Council meeting in Nairobi on September 1, 2025.
Photo Council of Governors Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, who also serves as the chairperson of the Council of Governors, directly challenged Mbadi, arguing that the government was rushing the process without addressing basic technical challenges. He warned against threats and intimidation, insisting that a new system must first be piloted and fine-tuned before being imposed on all counties. "It's not that IFMIS has no problems, and it was there for the national government before.
