Practices of Procurement Professionals and Sustainable Development in Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2508Abstract
While the legislative framework, including the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (PPADA) 2015 and subsequent sustainability guidelines, sets out clear objectives for integrating economic, social, and environmental considerations, actual implementation varies significantly. The research adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design, targeting procurement professionals across state corporations and government ministries. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. The findings reveal that economic sustainability practices, such as supporting local suppliers and promoting SME participation, are more widely implemented than social and environmental sustainability measures. Social inclusion efforts are constrained by weak enforcement mechanisms and limited follow-up during contract execution, while environmental sustainability remains underdeveloped due to insufficient technical expertise, budgetary constraints, and perceptions of high cost. The study concludes that procurement professionals have the potential to be strategic change agents for sustainable development but require enhanced capacity, institutional support, and performance incentives to achieve this role effectively. Recommendations include targeted training, integrating sustainability indicators into performance evaluations, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, fostering inter-agency collaboration, and allocating dedicated budgets for sustainability initiatives.
Keywords: Public Procurement, Procurement Professionals, Sustainable Development, Economic Sustainability, Social Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, Supply Chain, Kenya, PPADA 2015, Procurement Practices.
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