Haji orders arrest of 12 Kenya Maritime Authority officials
By Zadock Angira, June 10, 2020
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji yesterday ordered the arrest of 12 Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) officials and contractors over a tendering scandal that would have cost the taxpayer Sh205 million.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) investigated the irregular award of tender for the construction of a multi-storey block at Mbaraki in Mombasa and revealed that the evaluation committee altered the tender sum as had been submitted by bidders and read out in the tender opening committee for the stated tenders.
As a result, KMA paid Sh1,106,891,929 to the contractors at the commencement of the probe.
A second tender was for the installation of several plumbing and electrical works and another committee was also set up to review and assess the tenders. However, the evaluation team altered the tender sum.
According to the investigations, the head of procurement, Edward Mong’are Momanyi, allegedly recommended the irregular awards be given to the winning bidders in contravention of Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Act of 2015.
EACC also said that the former acting director general Cosmos Kiplang’at caused the authority to enter into a contract with the bidders based on the altered tender sums.
As a result, the KMA awarded EPCO Builders Ltd tender worth Sh1,825,239,939 instead of Sh1,728,176,418 indicated in the opening committee.
Another tender was awarded to Master Power Systems Ltd at Sh223,292,876 whereas the tender submitted was for Sh115,976,976. This was an addition of Sh108, 315,900.
The other tender was awarded to Plumbing Systems Ltd which was altered to read Sh79,841,217 whereas the tender opening committee had read out Sh80,625,000.
“Were the full amount paid as altered, KMA would have lost a total of Sh205,379,421,” the DPP said.
The DPP then ordered for the arrest of the former Ag Director General Cosmas Kiplagat Cherop, former head of procurement, Edwin Mongare Momanyi, procurement officer Seth Oluoch Arende, the research and development officer Juma Ahmed Ali and the data entry assistant Jemimah Mkaluma Msinga.
Others to be arrested are Dennis Kipkorir Ngeno, (electrical engineer, State Department of Public Works), Jared Biwott (electrical engineer, Mengi Designs), Robinson Mwangi Karigu (quantity surveyor, Quanti-Bill Consultants), Joel Kiprono Bii, (KMA Kisumu branch manager), Bakari Omar Mwakuyu, (internal audit officer), Francis Okello Oluoch, (assistant ICT officer) and Peter Kimani Kinyanjui, projects coordinator, Mengi Designs).