An investigation by a government agency has revealed that a Chinese company that was contracted to construct a Ksh9 Billion road forged documents to get the tender.
The firm was put on the spot after a section of the dual carriage highway linking Kisii and Ahero collapsed at the Ahero- Katitu bridge due to heavy rains in March 2020.
Following the incident, the National Construction Authority (NCA) formed a committee to investigate which led to the discovery that the company officials used forged documents to get the contract.
The documents presented by the company director during a hearing in September 2020 indicated that they had been issued by the regulatory authority on February 13, 2020.
However, upon scrutiny by the agency, the annual practicing licence and a contractor's licence were forgeries.
The investigation committee further found that the company had also been performing three other road projects without the required approvals.
With the infractions, the sub-committee recommended the prosecution of the company directors for the forgery and for operating without required licences.
The firm was also suspended from the NCA registrar until the inquiry is completed.
The agency stated that the collapse of the bridge which has since been repaired could have been avoided had the contractor complied with basic regulations.
Investigations revealed that the bridge was hurriedly constructed and essential steps that would have pointed out environmental challenges early enough skipped.
The sub-committee noted that there was a lack of design of the temporary works, box culvert, to suit the design of the environmental conditions at the time.
"We noted the lack of seriousness of the contractor in undertaking the temporary works as well as a missing signage of the Kisii-Ahero road," the report read in part.
The investigating board also disclosed that the contractor did not comply with the NCA Act and regulations 14 of the NCA Regulations 2014, which require the partner or director who possesses technical qualifications, skills, or experiences in the construction firm to attend at least one continuous professional development event organised by the agency.
