•The tender has been postponed thrice in the past three months only.
•Kebs managing director Benard Njiraini argues the new Covid-19 variant (Omicron), the festive season and the travel restrictions have made it difficult to beat deadlines.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) is on the spot over a much delayed multi-billion vehicle inspection tender,re-advertised multiple times since January last year.
The Star has established that the standards agency has been shifting deadlines for the restricted tender, and has also opened it even to blacklisted firms and those that don't qualify.
In a fresh advertisement, Kebs has set January 27 as the application deadline on a request by one of the bidders. Already at least 13 firms have now submitted bids.
The contract was first advertised in January last year but was never awarded in unclear circumstances, even though contracts for the firms undertaking inspections for Kenya abroad had lapsed.
The tender has been postponed thrice in the past three months only. The agency had announced that documents for the restricted tender were to be published on November 24, 2021.
However, this was pushed to November 30 with the tender deadline being set for January 6, 2022.
According to Kebs managing director Benard Njiraini, the new Covid-19 variant (Omicron), the festive season and the travel restrictions imposed by airlines "have made it difficult to beat the tender deadline of January 6, 2022."
Among the firms invited to bid for the contract include East Africa Automobile Inspection company (EAA) that has been debarred by the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB) from doing business in Kenya.
The firm was debarred for three years and the decision gazetted by Treasury CS Ukur Yatani.
However, EAA dashed to court and obtained orders staying the debarment pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
EAA was debarred for alleged falsification of documents in previous contract.
The decision to debar EAA was arrived at after various investigative agencies including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in conjunction with Interpol, the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee and the Auditor General separately concluded that the firm was involved in falsification of its bid documents.
Also invited to bid for the contract is Auto Terminal Japan limited (ATJ).
The company is embroiled in a vicious court case with PPARB fighting debarment for alleged falsification of documents.
The Auditor General, the DCI and PIC also alleged forgery of bid documents by ATJ to win previous multi-billion shillings Kebs contracts for motor vehicle inspection.
Although the standards body has insisted on Type A ISO certification, companies outside this bracket have been invited.
Type A certified firms are seen as the most independent inspection companies as they are not affiliated to any manufacturers or suppliers of a similar product.
"We are looking for an independent body devoid of any conflict of interest e.g vehicle sales, repairs, maintenance etc and hence type C is not admissible,”Njiraini said in an addendum dated December 20.
Even so, ATJ and Aichi Daihatsu which have type C certification are among those tendering.
Jumbo DAA is a company importing and exporting vehicles from Japan to Kenya and its neighboring countries.
Others are Quality Inspection Services Japan (QISJ), Japan Inspection Services, Telova, Jurong Inspection Centre (JIC), Wilna, Geochem, Vinstar, TIS, JAAI and Five Blocks.