REPORT: 40% Of Gov't Workers Unqualified, Incompetent

REPORT: 40% Of Gov’t Workers Unqualified, Incompetent

According to a new survey, nearly half of Kenya’s supply chain practitioners are incompetent, acting illegally, or unqualified.

The Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM) discovered that a staggering 40% of supply chain professionals, notably those employed by county governments, lack the requisite skills.

Supply chain practitioners are professionals who manage the distribution, warehousing, inventory, logistics, and procurement operations for a wide range of sectors.

They consist of freight forwarders, supply chain analysts, warehouse supervisors, logistics managers, procurement officials, and inventory controllers.

According to KISM data, the majority of county procurement department staff are unsuited for their positions.

SUPPLY CHAIN QUACKS

KISM – 40% of practitioners incompetent, operating illegally or unqualified

Counties lead in non-compliance with practitioners lacking valid licenses

Disciplinary Proceedings initiated against 116 unlicensed practitioners

Story by Regina Manyara… pic.twitter.com/RM2G0NKXOY
— KBC Channel 1 News (@KBCChannel1) June 3, 2025

“We cannot be able to say that the counties are having cases of non-compliance because of ABCD, but I think what we are seeing is an opportunity for us to partner with the counties to build their capacities,” KISM CEO Kenneth Matiba told the press on Tuesday.

The investigation also discovered that 15% of the practitioners in 109 institutions are operating illegally.

Supply chain practitioners must be certified and controlled under the Supplies Practitioners Management Act of 2007, which requires registration through KISM.

The statute reads: “A person shall not practise as a supply practitioner unless that person is registered under this Act.”

Practitioners must hold valid KISM practicing licences and follow the institute’s code of conduct.

Common professional certifications include the Certified Procurement and Supply Professional of Kenya (CPSP-K) and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) degrees, which are widely accepted in both the public and commercial sectors.

According to KISM, 116 practitioners were discovered to be practicing without a license, with 93 cases including professional misconduct.

“We have about 33,000 schools in Kenya, most of which do procurement not the right way, and the youth are not licensed or registered, per se,” noted KISM Council chairman John Karani.

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The fresh disclosures come as the government grapples with the widespread issue of phony certifications.

According to a Public Service Commission (PSC) assessment, over 2,000 public servants were hired, promoted, or re-designated using false academic and professional certifications.

The audit, which included 331 entities such as ministries, state departments, agencies, and public colleges, revealed that 1,280 of the 53,599 certificates submitted for verification were verified to be fake.

As a result, the government this month ordered a review of all civil worker certifications in an effort to clean up the public sector.

REPORT: 40% Of Gov’t Workers Unqualified, Incompetent