Tender to airlift Presidential Speeches puzzles Kenyans

The increasing cost of living has left many Kenyans grappling to keep afloat. The burgeoning wage bill, increased NSSF deductions, mindboggling parking fees, increased property rates, anglo leasing debt repayment and a myriad of other compulsory expenses.

Then we see this photo making rounds on social media:

This tender advert by the ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government on one of the print dailies has left many in shock.

One of the tender description is for airlifting of Presidential speeches. To apply for that tender, a supplier would require a bid bond amount of Kshs 500,000.

We got in touch with one of our business reporters to clarify on what a bid bond is.

A bid bond is a written undertaking issued by a Bank/Insurance firm on behalf of a customer (State House in this case). They are issued to support tenders for contracts made by suppliers. The tenderer is compensated amount specified if supplier is awarded but fails to take up the contract.

That means that if you as a supplier fail to deliver on airlifting those precious Presidential speeches, the government gets a cool half a million from your insurance company.

To our relief, a supplier does not have to cough up the actual half a million to get the contract.

But we got to ask, why are presidential speeches being airlifted? Whatever happened to traveling with the documents or even emailing using secure means?

Can the Ministry clarify what airlifting of presidential speeches is all about?