• Chief Finance Officer and members of the tender committees and director supply chain manager recommended to step aside.
• Senators say tenders should be halted as probe is conducted
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
The Senate has given the EACC and DCI 60 days to investigate three Kirinyaga county officials over tender irregularities cited in the quashed impeachment of Governor Anne Waiguru.
In the report tabled in Senate on Friday, the special committee that was investigating the impeachment of Waiguru said there was violation of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act and the Public Finance Management Act in the award of the tenders.
The committee that was chaired by Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations should complete their investigations within 60 days.
“The committee has recommended that specific officers who constituted the tender committees -that is the chief finance officer and members of the tender committees and director supply chain manager should step aside as the DCI and EACC look into these matters,” Malala said.
He added, “All the companies that were awarded unlawful tenders in Kirinyaga county, the EACC, DCI and other other agencies should initiate investigations and report back within 60 days but in the meantime, those tenders should be paused until the matter is heard and determined.”
The tender which the committee want investigated relates to the design, development, installation and commission of an integrated hospital management information system.
The county assembly said the tender was awarded to Velocity Partners Limited, a company that did not exist at the time the tender was advertised.
The MCAs said the tendering process had been completed by the previous county government but was re- advertised and awarded to the company at a cost of Sh50,691,565, an amount which was paid despite no work being done.
“The contract signed between the county and Velocity Partners Limited in May, 2018 was for Sh27,203,450.00 but the total amount paid out by the county amounts to Sh50,691,565.00,” the said.
While the committee did not recommend for EACC and DCI to investigate the award of tender to Eva Trading Agencies Limited for development of water works for Mwea Makima Water Project, the committee found the county culpable of impropriety.
The Malala team said the company is associated with the family of Mugo Ndathi who is the county chief officer for finance.
“Mr. Edwin Gicobi Ndathi, who is a brother to the county chief officer, Finance holds 300 shares in the company,” the committee said.
“The committee observed that the county assembly was able to prove impropriety in the award of this tender. There was clear case of conflict of interest but involving the accounting officer and the company in question. One of the shareholders is the brother to the accounting officer who executed the contract,” the committee said.
Edited by P.O