Communications Authority speaks on arrest of senior officials

NAIROBI, KENYA: Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has come out to defend tender award, which led to arrest of its senior officials.

On Thursday, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission said it arrested six top officials of the ICT regulator over procurement over procurement irregularities.

The Commission investigated allegations of procurement irregularities against the Assistant Director Procurement at the Communication Authority of Kenya Ms. Joyce Nyamba during the evaluation of the tender for renovation of the Authorities Agriculturalist Society of Kenya show stand. The Commission forwarded the File to the Director of Public Prosecutions on 16th January 2019.

In a rejoinder, CA noted that no money was lost under the tender deal claiming that it saved the taxpayers money from a higher quotation.

In August 2014, the Authority invited tenders for the renovation of its exhibition stand at the Nairobi Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show ground from list of pre-qualified contractors.

“The tender committee, in its deliberation, noted that the tender for the lowest evaluated bid of Sh4,474,000 was unreasonably high considering that the Authority had undertaken similar works in the previous year,” explains Ngene Gituku, CA Board Chairman.

“The committee recommended cancelation of the tender and procurement of the service from our advertising agency.”

Communications Authority says the Advertising Agency quoted a total tender sum of Sh1.9 million for the repairs of the stand, making a saving of Sh2.5 million as compared to the initial lowest evaluated bid of Sh4.4 million.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission pounced on the six after the Director of Public Prosecutions gave consent for their arrest and prosecution.

The DPP in his letter dated May 6 returned the File to EACC and gave consent to arraign the suspects in Court. Those in custody are being processed to be charged in court.

Those arrested include Joyce Nyambache Osinde (Assitant Director and Head of Procurement), Stanley K. Kibe (Tender Committee Member), Leo Kibet Boruett (Tender Committee Member), Vincent Ngundi (Tender Committee Member), Jane Jeptanui Rotich (Tender Committee Member) and Philip Kiplangat (Tender Committee Member).

EACC says that it will also arrest Mutua Muthusi (Former Director, Consumer and Public Affairs), Peris Nkonge (Tender Committee Member) and John Omo (CAK Secretary and Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union).