Nine senior officials at the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) were on Thursday, September 3, fined a cumulative sum of Ksh4.5 Million for a suspicious tendering process.
In a statement, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions stated that the former head of procurement department and eight officers in the department had each been fined Ksh500,000 or to serve 12 months imprisonment for willful failure to comply with laws relating to procurement.
The matter at hand related to the improper cancellation of the tender for the renovation of the CAK stand at the Nairobi Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) and subsequent award of the same to another firm through direct procurement contrary to procurement procedures.
The matter in question took place in August 2014 when the authority invited tenders for the renovation of its exhibition stand at the ASK showground from a list of pre-qualified contractors.
The DPP ordered the arrest of the officials in 2019 over the cancellation of the tender and procurement of the service from an advertising agency.
“The commission forwarded the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions on January 16, 2019. The DPP in his letter dated May 6, 2019 returned the file to EACC and gave consent to arraign the suspects in court,” EACC stated in a statement.
In previous court proceedings, the authority stated that no money was lost under the tender deal as it claimed that it saved money from a higher quotation.
“The tender committee, in its deliberation, noted that the tender for the lowest evaluated bid of Ksh4,474,000 was unreasonably high considering that the authority had undertaken similar works in the previous year,” an official at CA stated at the time.
According to the organisation, the Advertising Agency quoted a total tender sum of Ksh1.9 million for the repairs of the stand, making a saving of Ksh2.5 million as compared to the initial lowest evaluated bid of Ksh4.4 million.
The ASK show is an annual trade show where different organisations exhibit their products. The first show was held at the Jeevanjee Gardens and market in 1902.
It has since grown to be the largest Trade Fair in the East African Region. It is a seven-day event that runs from late September to early October annually.
It offers opportunities for regional, continental and global exhibitors to display and demonstrate their services and products. It also offers show visitors an opportunity to meet people from different countries and backgrounds, hence creating a platform for interaction and exchanging of ideas and experiences.
