Kelly Nyakang William Nyuon Bany - courtesy

A few months ago, I sparked a heated debate when I said I don’t like government contracts. Today, I’ll say it again—and I’ll explain exactly why.

On paper, government tenders are incredibly seductive. They offer big numbers, the promise of “guaranteed” work, and the prestige of working with serious institutions. But the reality behind the scenes is often a bureaucratic and ethical mess.

The Hidden Cost of “Guaranteed” Work

If you are a stranger to the system, if you don’t have a “connection,” or if you refuse to “facilitate” deals under the table, you must prepare for three things: endless paperwork, intentional delays, and total silence when it is time to get paid.

I have watched fellow suppliers take out bank loans to deliver goods to government offices. They supply the work, they wait months—sometimes years—and the payment never arrives. That is when the phone calls begin.

“Too Many Hands Want to Eat”

The requests are always the same: “Ongeza kidogo kwa invoice” (add a little to the invoice) or “Ongeza figure ndio tupate yetu” (inflate the figure so we get our share).

In many cases, you are pressured to inflate a 200,000 ssp job to 600,000 ssp. This isn’t because the scope of work changed; it’s because too many hands want to “eat.” By the time the money is finally shared among the gatekeepers, the contractor is left stressed, unpaid, and still chasing signatures.

This is exactly why we see government websites that cost millions but deliver zero value. In that system, nobody cares about quality; everyone only cares about cutting their share. This is a failure of leadership and a systemic corruption problem.

Peace of Mind is Also Profit

Personally, I would rather sell a course for 1,000 ssp to twenty honest people. That money pays my rent and buys my food. More importantly, it allows me to sleep peacefully. There are no bribes, no shady phone calls, and no waiting for a “Mheshimiwa” [Big man] to approve a payment that should have been processed months ago.

We see people getting rich from these contracts. We see the Range Rovers and the convoys. But let’s be clear: that wealth rarely comes from efficiency. It comes from corruption.

A Word to the Youth

If you are a young entrepreneur, hear me clearly: Government contracts are not “quick money,” and they are rarely “clean money.” They will test your values to the core.

If you don’t have the stomach for corruption, stay away. Build a private client base. Sell real value. Start small and grow clean. In business, peace of mind is just as important as the numbers in your bank account.