Nexus between the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities Initiative's Legal and Regulatory Framework with Its Uptake by Youth in Isiolo County, Kenya

Abstract

The Kenyan Government, cognizant of the Constitution of Kenya (2010) Article 227 on the fair, equitable, transparent and cost-effective public procurement of goods and services and Article 55 on affirmative action in the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 came up with the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) initiative. It was envisioned that the AGPO initiative facilitates the Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) owned by youth, women and PWDs to benefit from at least thirty percent of the Government tenders. However, considering the challenges experienced the connection of the LRF of this initiative and how it influences the uptake of these opportunities is not clear. This study therefore purposed to investigate the significance of the LRF in the Uptake of AGPO by the youth as beneficiaries in Isiolo County, Kenya. Using the descriptive research design, inferential statistics as tools of analysis, and with a sample of 55 youth drawn across the three (3) Sub-Counties of Isiolo County, the researchers were able to measure how the LRF influences the uptake of AGPO by the youth. The study established that the LRF was an insignificant factor in the Uptake of the AGPO initiative by these youth, since it had a weak positive correlation with the dependent variable Uptake of AGPO r(51) = .153 p > .05. However, it emerged that the procedures of getting licenses were bureaucratic and with multiple licenses required to operate the SMEs. The researchers recommend that the County establishes an agency to sensitize the youth on the various laws, regulations and obligations in the AGPO program. The study further recommends a review of the PPADA (2015) after an expanded study to include all 47 Counties to encompass concerns of beneficiaries countrywide.