Public procurement is fast becoming big business in Africa. It accounts for almost a third of the GDP in some poorer countries and up to 15% in developed countries. However, it amounts to more than just government purchasing processes and procedures. Business-to-government procurement can also positively impact the rate and quality of progress in realising the objectives of national development, providing opportunities to promote social, industrial and environmental policy.

In Kenya, the public procurement system has undergone notable developments and institutional strengthening, though significant challenges around inefficiency and transparency remain. The extreme pressure caused by the COVID-19 has only exacerbated these issues, with demand for biomedical and diagnostic solutions and technologies far outstripping domestic supply capacity.

In this second roundtable of the series, we will identify the fault-lines exposed by the pandemic and identify practical opportunities for government and private sector to work together to help each other identify supply-demand gaps. This will include reviewing policies on trade, manufacturing and intellectual property that can speed up Kenya’s response, focusing on enabling access to medical devices and components related to critical areas of testing, protecting, treating and curing (TPTC) technology.