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The Role Of E-Procurement System In Enhancing Transparency And Accountability In Local Government: A Case Study Of Wakiso District Local Government

Kibedi Fahad, Irumba Alex


Abstract

Public procurement remains one of the largest and most vulnerable areas of public expenditure in local governments, and the adoption of electronic procurement (e-procurement) systems has been widely promoted as a mechanism for enhancing transparency and accountability in this process. This study examined the role of the e-procurement system in enhancing transparency and accountability in local government, with specific reference to Wakiso District Local Government. The study was guided by four specific objectives: assessing the level of adoption and utilization of the e-procurement system, establishing its contribution to transparency, determining its contribution to accountability, and identifying the challenges limiting its effectiveness. A descriptive case study design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted, with data collected from a sample of 87 respondents comprising procurement officers, contracts committee members, bidders, and internal audit staff, using questionnaires, interviews, and document review. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and path analysis (AMOS). Results showed high adoption of the system for tender advertisement (mean = 3.90) but comparatively lower transparency scores for bid evaluation and award decisions (means of 3.10 and 3.05). Eprocurement adoption was significantly correlated with transparency (r = 0.610, p < 0.01) and accountability (r = 0.520, p < 0.01), and regression results showed the two predictors jointly explained 49.3 percent of the variance in accountability (R² = 0.493). Path analysis revealed that transparency partially mediates the relationship between eprocurement adoption and accountability, with a significant indirect effect (β = 0.286, p < 0.01) alongside a significant direct effect (β = 0.238, p < 0.01), yielding a total effect of 0.524. The study concludes that e-procurement has made a measurable but partial contribution to transparency and accountability in Wakiso District, constrained by infrastructural, capacity, and institutional challenges, and recommends investment in connectivity, capacity building, full migration of procurement functions onto the electronic platform, and enhanced real-time oversight access.

Keywords

E-procurement transparency accountability public procurement local government path analysis Wakiso District Uganda
Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research

Cite This Article

Kibedi Fahad & Irumba Alex (2026). The Role Of E-Procurement System In Enhancing Transparency And Accountability In Local Government: A Case Study Of Wakiso District Local Government. Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research, 5(9). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=1862

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