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Auma said it is taxpayers money being spent, adding that Kenyans have the right to know where it goes.
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"Therefore, all these details should be prominently displayed on information banners at project sites," he said.
Image: FILE
A Human rights group wants the government to make public details of tenders and contracts after a damning report exposed disturbing patterns in the tendering system.
Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) Head of Rapid Response Francis Auma noted that the damning report which appeared on a local daily on January 16 this year raised serious concerns about opaqueness and accountability in the tendering system.
The report showed that data obtained from the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) revealed that 10 companies bagged a staggering Sh220.9 billion in contracts over a four-year period.
This was between June 2018 and June 2022.
Auma noted that this amounts to nearly 40 per cent of the Sh577.07 billion total value of tenders awarded by state agencies during that timeframe
He said the alarming concentration of contracts raises critical questions.
"Who are these 10 privileged companies? Who owns them and who sits on their boards?" he posed.
He further questioned why the companies have been consistently favored for nearly four years, securing almost two-fifths of all state tenders.
"Are they simply "special" beyond competition, or are there deeper, hidden forces at play?" he posed.
Auma said Kenyans demand transparency and accountability.
He said Kenyans need to know the identities of the 10 companies and their ownership structures,
Additionally, he said Kenyans should also be informed of the rationale behind their dominance in public procurement.
"Furthermore, we propose a crucial reform: mandatory public disclosure of information for all national and county government projects," Auma said.
"This includes project details, awarded contractors, contract values, and completion timeframes."
Auma said it is taxpayers money being spent, adding that Kenyans have the right to know where it goes.
"Therefore, all these details should be prominently displayed on information banners at project sites," he said.
Auma said the transparency should be the norm for both national and county-level projects.
He urged the Mombasa County government to lead by example in implementing this reform.
"That is to say, Governor Abdulswamad Nassir's administration should erect banners on every project that the county government is doing. displaying who has been given the project, the money allocated, and the time the project is projected to take to complete," Auma said.