Competition watchdog steps up crackdown on tender cartels

Kenya's Competition Authority (CAK) and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) are intensifying cooperation to dismantle bid-rigging schemes that inflate the cost of government projects. Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo stated that public procurement accounts for about 60% of the national budget, equivalent to 1.68 trillion shillings out of 2.8 trillion. Targeted practices include cover bidding, bid suppression, and bid rotation. Every shilling lost to bid rigging is a shilling stolen from schools, roads, or hospitals, he said.