International Public Procurement Frameworks: UNCITRAL Model Law and Development Bank Rules

Last reviewed 2026-11-04 Applies to: UNCITRAL Model Law (2011) and Guide to Enactment (2012)

Short answer: the UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement is a model, not a treaty. It guides national law but binds no country unless that country adopts it.

UNCITRAL Model Law (2011)

• Adopted by the UN Commission on International Trade Law on 1 July 2011, replacing the 1994 Model Law.
• Aims to achieve value for money and avoid abuses, and covers modern techniques such as e-procurement and framework agreements.
• Prepared with regard to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement, EU procurement directives, the UN Convention Against Corruption and the procurement rules of development banks including the African Development Bank and the World Bank.
• A Guide to Enactment was adopted on 28 June 2012. UNCITRAL reports that legislation based on or influenced by the Model Law has been adopted in 26 States.

Binding versus voluntary

National laws such as the PPADA bind public entities in Kenya. A model law is voluntary guidance. Where a project is funded by a development bank, the financing agreement usually makes that lender's procurement rules apply to the funded procurement, so check the agreement and the lender's current rules.

Comparative guides for other countries will be added only after verifying their official sources.

Edition and currency

Last reviewed 2026-11-04. This material refers to the Constitution of Kenya, 2010; the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, No. 33 of 2015, which has been revised and amended since enactment; and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Regulations, 2020 (Legal Notice No. 69), for which Kenya Law publishes a consolidated version dated 31 December 2022. Laws change, so read the current authoritative text at the links below and check the date of the edition you are using before relying on any provision.

Educational information only. This page is not a substitute for professional legal advice. ComplyBora is an independent educational platform, not a government agency.

Related guides

Official and source references

• UNCITRAL: Model Law on Public Procurement (2011)
• UNCITRAL: Guide to Enactment
• UNCITRAL: status of the Model Law
• Constitution of Kenya, 2010 (Kenya Law)
• Article 227: Procurement of public goods and services (Kenya Law Reform Commission)
• Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 (Kenya Law)
• Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Regulations, 2020: Kenya Law consolidated version of 31 December 2022
• Public Procurement Regulatory Authority: legislation
• Kenya Law: case law