KEMSA hosts pre-bid conference as two-year framework tenders are floated
…Acting CEO Njoroge implores local manufacturers and
disadvantaged groups to participate, assures bidding process will be
undertaken with strict adherence to local and international
procurement standards
By Wangechi Wahome
The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has stepped
up plans to guarantee access to quality Health Products and
Technologies (HPTs) supply to more than 8,000 facilities in the
national public health care system, with a floating of two
competitive tenders for pharmaceutical products.
The newly floated tenders are open for local manufacturers and
related suppliers, including youth, women and persons with
disability-owned enterprises, which can participate under the
Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) program,
among other supplier categories.
As part of KEMSA’s ongoing public procurement integrity assurance
plan, local and international bidders seeking to supply Health
Products and Technologies (HPTs) under a two-year framework
model converged at the College of Insurance, Nairobi, this morning
for a pre-bid conference.
KEMSA hosted the pre-bid conference for the two tenders for
prospective bidders. The pre-bid conference provided an
engagement platform to ensure that the highest standard of ethics
and integrity is maintained during the procurement, selection and
execution of all contracts.
Speaking at the pre-bid conference, KEMSA acting Chief Executive
Officer Mr Edward Njoroge called on local manufacturers and
disadvantaged groups under the AGPO program not to shy away
from placing tender submissions. He reiterated that the Authority’s
public procurement processes would be undertaken with utmost
transparency to guarantee value for money and competitiveness.
He explained that the entire bids submission and evaluation process
will be undertaken on the National Treasury’s Integrated Financial
Management Information System (IFMIS) Digital procurement
platform (www.supplier.treasury.go.ke). No manually submitted
bids will be accepted to promote fair play and enhance competition.
The over 260 suppliers at the pre-bid conference are set to submit
their tender documents to deliver Health Products (Tablets and
Capsules), ARV Medicines, Topical, Disinfectants, Antiseptics & Oral
Liquids, Surgical and Orthopaedic Dressing and Theatre Medicines
& Injectables among others.
While imploring the bidders to consider providing competitive
prices based on supply volumes, Njoroge disclosed that an
automated supplier performance tool will be used to guarantee
efficient service delivery. The tool will track supplier performance
on specific metrics, including timely deliveries, quality of products,
among others.
“At KEMSA, we are known for quality services thanks to the
commitment of our suppliers who adhere to the strict quality
assurance standards. This time around, we are activating a new
supplier performance measurement tool to raise the quality
standards to world-class benchmarks and ensure value for money
to the Kenyan taxpayer,” Njoroge said.
Having undertaken extensive integrity adjustments at KEMSA,
prospective suppliers to the Authority, including local
manufacturers and disadvantaged groups (AGPO), will also be
required to maintain high ethical operating standards.
“At KEMSA, we have re-engineered many of our financial
management and procurement processes and adopted information
technology systems. This is to ensure that we achieve excellence by
providing critical assurance of ethical conduct to all our
stakeholders,” Njoroge said. He further assured that “Various covert
and overt oversight frameworks have been put in place to guard
against the loss of taxpayers and donor funds through procurement
processes manipulation.”
KEMSA, Njoroge said, is committed to achieving excellence in
procurement, warehousing, and distributing quality affordable
Health Products and Technologies (HPTs) to public health facilities.
The Authority, he added, has put in place strategic measures to
make a significant contribution to the attainment of Universal
Health Coverage (UHC).
“KEMSA’s role in the success of UHC is the provision of quality,
accessible and affordable Health Products and Technologies sourced
from local and international suppliers such as those converged at
this pre-bid conference,” he said.
All KEMSA business processes are fully automated through the
Authority’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Logistics
Management Information System (LMIS) and the KEMSA e-mobile
service that facilitate on-time stocks fulfilment to public health
facilities countrywide.
Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) is a state corporation
under the Ministry of Health established under the KEMSA Act 2013
whose mandate is: Procure, warehouse and distribute drugs and
medical supplies for prescribed public health programs, the
national strategic stock reserve, prescribed essential health
packages and national referral hospitals. KEMSA provides reliable,
affordable and quality health products and supply chain solutions
geared at improving healthcare in Kenya. https://www.kemsa.co.ke
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