African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has prohibited a Kenyan firm, Rockey Africa Ltd, from doing business with it for the next 18 months over fraudulent practices involving a tendering process for a government project.

In a statement posted on its website, the Abidjan-based lender said the tenders involved procurement of services to support the government’s effort to improve the quality and relevance of engineering faculties in Kenya.

The bank also debarred the company’s affiliates including Aerospace Aviation, Eva-Top Agencies, Sony Commercial Agencies, Beta Trading Company and Madujey Global Services, in addition to a two-year banning of its chairman and chief executive Robert Kamau Wachira for involvement in fraudulent activities in several tenders.

Several tenders

“An investigation conducted by the Bank’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption established that Rockey Africa Limited, its above-named affiliates and Wachira, engaged in fraudulent practices in several tenders under the Support to Enhancement of Quality and Relevance in Higher Education, Science and Technology Project implemented in Kenya,” the  bank said in the statement.

The project aims to improve quality and relevance in engineering faculties in line with Kenya’s Vision 2030 priorities for science, technology and innovation (STI) and human resource aspirations of the East Africa Community (EAC) integration.

During the debarment periods that took effect from August 5, 2021, AfDB said the company, its affiliates and chief executive will not be allowed to participate in the Bank Group-financed projects.