Kenya Power has significantly increased the amount of procurement contracts awarded to businesses owned by youth, women, and people with disabilities (PWDs) over the past year.
In the current financial year, the company has awarded tenders worth KES 609 million to these special interest groups – nearly 2.5 times the 244 million shillings awarded during the same period last year.
“The increased uptake of these AGPO tenders is a result of the deliberate effort by the Company to sensitize the target groups on the procurement opportunities available,” said Dr. Jonn Ngeno, Kenya Power’s General Manager of Supply Chain and Logistics.
The company has set aside 1.8 billion shillings in its current procurement budget specifically for businesses owned by youth, women and PWDs under the government’s Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) program.
Of the 609 million shillings awarded so far, businesses owned by youth received the largest share at KES 472.9 million, followed by KES 135.5 million for women-owned firms and 646,700 for PWD-owned enterprises.
To further drive uptake, Kenya Power has held sensitization workshops across the country to educate special interest groups on how to participate in the company’s procurement processes. The firm is also working with financial institutions to help these businesses access the necessary funding to bid on and fulfill AGPO contracts.
“We are keen to maintain liaison with leading financial institutions to offer financial support to bidders under the AGPO category,” Dr. Ngeno explained. “Most of these institutions also participate in our sensitization forums where they get to meet the bidders and offer tailor-made financial solutions to boost their capacity to bid.”
The increased focus on special interest groups comes as part of a broader effort by Kenya Power to fulfill its mandate and meet the country’s growing electricity demand. The company operates a transmission and distribution network spanning over 306,000 kilometers across Kenya.
