KENYA;‘Wealthy’ women also disadvantaged, says CS Henry Rotich

 
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich on Tuesday defended government departments under pressure for classifying well-to-do women as disadvantaged in awarding multimillion-shilling tenders.

Mr Rotich said all the women had the right to do business with the government and that they should not be discriminated against based on their status in life.

The minister's remarks follows controversy over who should benefit from the 30 per cent government tenders that have been set aside specifically for women, youth and the disabled.

The programme, launched by the Jubilee government and which has been enshrined in law, is called Access to Government Procurement Opportunities, popularly known as AGPO.

Mr Rotich on Tuesday said that in the government’s definition, all the three groups were disadvantaged.

“We do not differentiate who in the three categories is disadvantaged. As it stands, all of them are disadvantaged and have a right to do business with [the] government,” Mr Rotich said at a breakfast meeting in a Nairobi hotel.

Mr Rotich’s follow revelations that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s close relatives had their company registered as disadvantaged.

There have also been revelations that some companies belonging to Josephine Kabura — who took home millions of shillings through 20 companies in the National Youth Service saga — were registered as those of the disadvantaged.

The opposition and government critics have said that giving contracts to high-ranking women in society is against the spirit of the law.

They argue that the tenders should only be given to those of lower standing in society and not well-to-do women who are already well-established as that is discriminating against an already disadvantaged group.

Deputy President William Ruto has also defended well-to-do women who win tenders, saying they are disadvantaged as women and should not be discriminated against any further.

2030 AGENDA

Mr Rotich's briefing was on a meeting of top global government officials, multinationals and donors that will be held from November 28- December 1 in Nairobi at Kenyatta International Convention Centre.

The meeting will take stock of development cooperation over the next 15 years globally.

The Nairobi meeting comes after a 2014 high-level meeting held in Mexico City.

Over 3,000 representatives from governments, global multinationals, and donor companies are expected to attend.

Mr Rotich said Kenya will also use the meeting to introduce a flagship agenda for women and youth empowerment.

"The meeting will come up with an outcome document that will help us as we head to the achievement of the World 2030 Agenda," Mr Rotich said.

The Nairobi document, Mr Rotich said, will guide donor funding to avoid competition and duplication of roles — something he said was costing countries billions.

The meeting will have seven plenary sessions that will focus on, among others, implementation of development effectiveness principles, identification of indicative approaches to development, and the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals.