Suppliers eyeing government contracts for items as varied as water pumps, national flags, carpets and even newspapers have been told the deals are off.
The National Treasury on Tuesday announced that twenty tenders floated late last year and early this year had been cancelled.
The decision, Treasury explained in a circular, falls under Section 63 of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015.
That section spells out when and how a state office can withdraw a tender before an award is made.
In its communication to bidders, Treasury reminded them of the original advertisements: "The National Treasury, through the Kenya Procurement and Disposal Agency, on December 10, 2024 and March 11, 2025, advertised for the following framework tenders."
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It then delivered the blow: "The tenderers who participated in the tendering process are hereby notified of the termination/cancellation of the underlisted twenty framework tenders."
Among the tenders now struck out were those for agricultural equipment, timber products, insecticides, chemicals and spraying tools.
Orders for corrosion-proofing of roofs and tanks, delivery of paints and thinners, as well as professional cleaning services, have also been scrapped.
Vehicles, flags, emblems and carpeting were similarly included on the cancellation list.
The law provides several justifications for such an action.
A tender can be called off if new legislation makes it redundant, or if technological advances render the original request outdated.
Critically, the Act insists that cancellation must come before a winning bidder is declared.
Further, the Constitution obliges accounting officers to offer legitimate reasons for a termination.
Procuring bodies are also required to communicate the decision to all bidders within 14 days.
For suppliers, the move serves as a reminder that an advertised government tender is never guaranteed until the final award is made.
For Treasury, it is a matter of staying firmly within the guardrails of procurement law.
