Effect Of Procurement Practices On Performance Of County Governments In Kenya; A Case Of Embu County

Abstract

The government of Kenya acknowledges that inefficient public sector performance, notably in the management of public resources, has hindered the country's ability to fulfill long-term development objectives. The success or failure of a company is heavily influenced by its procurement strategies. Procurement methods are designed with the objective of improving customer service, lowering lead times and costs, and meeting market demand. The purpose of the study was to examine effect of procurement practices on performance of county governments in Kenya with an aim of making recommendations on its proper use among county governments. The study aimed at establishing how inventory management, procurement planning, supplier management and contract management influence performance of county governments in Kenya. Descriptive research design was adopted to answer the research problem. The target population was the heads of procurement, chief officers and four (4) procurement officers from all the fourteen (14) ministries in the county. Pilot study was carried out to establish the reliability and validity of research instruments. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data gathered from the questionnaires administered was analyzed by the help of SPSS version 21 and Microsoft Excel. The outputs were presented inform of statistical diagrams, tables and charts. The study used multiple linear regression and correlation analysis to show the relationship between the variables. The study was applied in the management of procurement practices in county governments in Kenya. The response rate of the study was 93%. The findings of the study indicated that inventory management, procurement planning, supplier management and contract management have a positive relationship with performance of county governments. Finally, the study recommended that county governments should embrace procurement practices so as to improve their performance and further researches should to be carried out in other institutions to find out if the same results can be obtained.