• Tenders were for construction of 24 classrooms, two administration blocks and library in one secondary and two primary schools.
• EACC confirms receiving complaint, promises action.
Image: FILE
Contractors in Vihiga want the EACC and the DCI to investigate how three tenders amounting to Sh105.2 million were awarded by the Luanda NG-CDF.
They were for constructing 24 classrooms, two administration blocks and a library in a secondary school and two primary schools.
The tender for the administration block and 16 classrooms at the secondary school was Sh54.83 million.
Another one was for constructing an administration block, a library and eight classrooms at a primary school for Sh24.89 million. The third is a contract for construction of eight classrooms at another primary school for Sh19.56 million.
Vihiga Merchants Association (VMA) secretary general Moses Mabwa wants tenders awarded to one contractor cancelled. Mabwa says the tenders were awarded to the highest bidders, and that the three companies that won the tenders belong to one person.
“Our companies were the lowest bidder but were ignored without explanation,” he said.
In a letter dated March 4, Mabwa complained to the Public Procurement Regulatory Board, the National Constituency Development Funds head office and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The EACC has confirmed receiving the complaint from the contractors and promised action.
EACC director for corporate communications affairs Beatrice Kungu said the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003 establishes offenses of corruption and economic crimes and provides for their investigation and penalties.
“The commission is fully aware of the matter and the case at hand will be investigated to its logical conclusion,” she said.
Constituency fund manager Gregory Otaalo defended the tender, saying they were awarded to the highest bidders, because they had the capacity to execute the tenders.
He said the lowest bidders didn’t qualify since they had invalid compliance certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority and the National Contractors Association.
Otaalo said the regret letters had anomalies since they did not have letterheads and were hurriedly written.
“I also realised the anomaly on the issue of bid bonds later when we had already given the regret letters to the contractors. We also didn’t notify them on the successful bidder in the letters but that was a mistake from our side,” he said.
Otaalo said they usually don’t advertise the tenders since they have inadequate resources.