Influence of E-Procurement on Procurement Contract Implementation in Kitui County, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of e-procurement practices on procurement contract implementation in Kitui County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, targeting 227 staff working in procurement, contract management, inventory, assets, and accounts departments within the county government. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 145 respondents. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire, which was pre-tested to ensure clarity and reliability. The instrument’s reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s Alpha with a threshold of 0.7. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, frequencies, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression). The findings revealed that e-tendering (β=0.146, p=0.001<0.05), e-evaluation (β = 0.122, p = 0.007<0.05), e-ordering (β = 0.118, p = 0.033<0.05), and e-invoicing (β = 0.119, p = 0.000<0.05) each had a positive and statistically significant effect on procurement contract implementation. The study concluded that e-procurement practices enhance procurement contract implementation by improving efficiency, accuracy, compliance, and transparency throughout the procurement cycle. It was recommended that county governments fully standardize e-procurement processes and that the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) enforce digital compliance across public entities to reduce reliance on manual systems and enhance contract performance.