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Five Nakuru County officials including a former Chief Officer for Trade were yesterday charged with procurement irregularities in a Sh7.9 million market shed tender in Menengai East.

The five: Edith Kimani (above), Jackson Maingi, Nickson Kibet, Anne Njeri and Florence Karanja appeared alongside directors of Levki Contractors Limited; Edith Maina, Jane Mwaura and John Murage.  

The eight are jointly accused of conspiring to change the tender evaluation criteria and procedures and regulations to favour one bidder, Levki Contractors in the multi-million-shilling tender.

They faced 14 separate counts of corruption-related offences before Anti-corruption court Chief Magistrate Bildad Ochieng in Nakuru, where they all denied the charges and through their lawyers sought releases on lenient bond terms.  

Edith, a former chief officer for Trade was charged with failing to comply with guidelines relating to procurement on February 24, 2017.

She is also accused of not adhering to the requirements for the appointment of the evaluation committee in the tender for the proposed Kiratina Market in Menengai East in Nakuru.

Deceiving investigators

Kimani faced another count of deceiving investigators of EACC undertaking a probe into the tendering process.  

On his part, Nickson Kibet, Anne Njeri, and Florence Karanja were charged that on diverse dates between February, 24 and March 9, 2017 members of the Tender Processing Committee recommended the award of the tender to Levki Contractors unlawfully.

EACC says the three awarded the tender of Sh7,945,698.40 to the company despite it not being qualified for the job. Levki directors and agents Edith Wangari, Jane Njoki, and John Murage were charged with fraudulently acquiring Sh3,250,885 despite not being qualified for the award.

They were further accused of presenting a fraudulent National Construction Authority (NCA) registration certificate, a Youth Access to Government Procurement Opportunities certificate, and an expired Tax Compliance Certificate). 

Murage faced another count of preparing a form of agreement in the tender in the name of Edith Maina, a director of Levki, without her authorization.

Jackson Maingi in charge of procurement at the Trade department was charged with two counts of deceiving an officer of the commission and fraudulent practice by signing tender opening minutes for the construction which never took place. The magistrate in his ruling released the accused persons on varied bond terms after the state was not opposed to their release pending trial.