NYEWASCO trains staff to improve procurement accountability

The Nyeri Water and Sanitation Company (NYEWASCO) is strengthening its internal procurement systems through digital training aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

The utility’s employees have completed a two-week capacity-building programme on the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system, conducted by the National Treasury. The training is expected to enhance the company’s ability to implement government procurement reforms and comply with established public procurement requirements.

Managing Director Eng. Peter G. Kahuthu officially opened the training, while Board Chair CPA Gathogo Mwangi presided over its closure. Their participation underscored the importance of equipping employees with the technical skills needed to adopt digital procurement processes and improve institutional performance.

During the engagement, the company’s leadership highlighted the role of electronic procurement in strengthening oversight, promoting responsible spending and ensuring that public resources are used for their intended purposes. They also emphasised the need for NYEWASCO to align its operations with wider public sector reforms designed to improve governance and service delivery.

The training exposed staff to the practical application of the e-GP platform, enabling them to develop a better understanding of how digital tools can support procurement activities. The system is intended to streamline procedures, improve the handling of procurement transactions and strengthen compliance with government requirements.

Moving procurement processes onto a digital platform can also help public institutions improve record management and make transactions easier to monitor. These measures are important in promoting accountability, reducing administrative inefficiencies and strengthening confidence in the use of public funds.

For NYEWASCO, the training comes at a time when water utilities are expected to balance operational costs, infrastructure investment and the demand for reliable services. Procurement plays a central role in these responsibilities, particularly when acquiring equipment, treatment chemicals, pipes, maintenance materials and other resources required to sustain water supply and sanitation operations.

Effective procurement management helps ensure that resources are acquired through proper procedures and used efficiently to support service delivery. Strengthening staff capacity is therefore an important step towards improving the utility’s institutional performance.

The company’s investment in employee training also reflects the growing importance of digital transformation in public institutions. As government agencies increasingly adopt electronic systems, staff competence becomes essential to ensuring that the platforms deliver their intended benefits.

Through the e-GP training, NYEWASCO aims to build a workforce capable of managing procurement processes more effectively while supporting sound financial management and good governance.

The initiative reinforces the link between transparent procurement, responsible use of public resources and the delivery of dependable water and sanitation services to consumers.