MACHAKOS — The Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM) has initiated a series of compliance assessments aimed at boosting professionalism in the supply chain and procurement sectors, particularly within the public sector.

According to Kenya News Agency, the institute is focused on ensuring that practitioners in the field adhere to legal standards, as mandated by the Supplies Practitioners Management Act of 2007. Recent evaluations by KISM have uncovered a significant number of practitioners operating without registration, which is required by law. "Many practitioners are not registered by the institute contrary to the provisions of the law. This exercise aims at strengthening compliance and bringing sanity to the profession," Matiba stated during the inauguration of the KISM Lower Eastern Regional Chapter in Machakos.

The CEO emphasized the critical role of the supply chain sector in national development and called on all stakeholders, including state and non-state actors, to prioritize professionalism in their service delivery. "The supply chain sector plays a very critical role in the development of the country and that is why we are calling upon all stakeholders to make professionalism the core of service delivery," added Matiba.

Jennifer Cirindi, a member of the KISM Council, highlighted the institute's efforts to decentralize its services to improve accessibility and effectiveness. "Every office that governs public expenditure has been devolved to all the 47 counties, and for the benefits of all Kenyans, we are decentralizing our services to ensure that the professionalism of procurement is felt across the country," Cirindi explained.

She also noted that in the past month, KISM has established eight regional chapters across the country, including in Northern Kenya, Coast, Lower Eastern, Northern Eastern, Mt. Kenya, Central and South Rift, Nyanza, and Western regions. These chapters are tasked with registration of members, engagement with procurement entities, and providing mentorship. "These chapters will also ensure continuous professional engagements where members can organize customer responsive programmes besides offering mentorship to young people joining the profession," Cirindi added.

The expansion and rigorous assessment efforts by KISM represent a significant move towards enhancing transparency, efficiency, and professionalism in Kenya’s procurement and supply chain sectors.