Nyandarua MCAs suspend procurement process amid corruption claims

County assembly members have resolved to suspend the procurement and tendering process following the tabling in the House of a dossier exposing rot.

The dossier revealed the existence of two parallel tendering committees operating in the county; one appointed by the County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Finance and another whose membership was forwarded by the county secretary.

CLEAR GUIDELINES

Last Thursday, the MCAs unanimously voted for the Motion moved by Central Ward Representative Mwangi Kagwe, paving the way for investigations by the Public Accounts Committee.

Mr Kagwe said the committee in operation is the one appointed by the CEC member for Finance Nelson Ngaruiya against the Public Procurement and Disposal Act 2005, which gives clear guidelines on who appoints the tendering committee.

Kagwe said the tenders were being directed to the CEC member instead of the county secretary as provided for by the law.

He asked why the CEC member was usurping authority and breaking the law.

Seconding the Motion, Gatimu MCA Kieru Wambui tabled a letter written by acting Procurement Officer John Mwaura to the CEC member for Finance informing him that there was a list of names given to him by the county secretary to form the tendering committee.

Mr Mwaura was said to have been confused about which one to work with because by law, the procurement officer is automatically the secretary of the committee.

The CEC member gave his appointed team the go ahead.

RECEIVED DOCUMENTS

Wambui shocked the House when he revealed that the Ngaruiya-appointed team received tender documents from 15 companies in Nairobi 30 days after the process was closed

Kipipiri MCA Michael Kirumba said the cancelled tenders cost the people of Nyandarua over Sh12 million.

County secretary Charles Kireru last week handed in his resignation, an action that has been linked to frustration.