Public Procurement Legal Framework and Performance of National Transport and Safety Authority, Kenya

Abstract

A legal framework encompasses the laws, regulations, and policies that are put in place to govern an organization or an activity. The PP legal framework covers the whole scope of PP, all stages of the procurement process, methods of procurement, ethics, and transparency. Despite the enactment of the Public Procurement Asset and Disposal Act 2015 which was touted to promote transparency, ethical practices, and professionalism in public procurement, the Public Procurement Oversight Authority estimated that procuring entities in Kenya were paying around 60% more than the prevailing market prices and many procurement activities still suffer from neglect, lack of open competition and corruption. The purpose of the study was to examine the public procurement legal framework on procurement performance of National Transport and Safety Authority. The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of procurement laws, internal procurement policies, bidding documentation, and circulars on performance of National Transport and Safety Authority. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The study unit of observation was National Transport and Safety Authority Nairobi and Coast regions. The unit of analysis was procurement staff of the National Transport and Safety Authority in two regions. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study findings showed that procurement laws, circulars, internal procurement policies, and bidding documentation had a positive and significant influence on performance in NTSA. The study recommended that the NTSA procurement staff adhere to procurement laws, internal procurement policies, and circulars, and bidding documentation was done procedurally.