Graft agency probes award of Mandera airport tender

The anti-graft agency now wants the airports authority to submit the original minutes that showed how the Mandera Airport tender was awarded.

In a letter to Kenya Airports Authority, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) boss Michael Mubea has also requested for original evaluations reports (preliminary, technical and financial) as well as the original tender document submitted by the bidders.

Mubea said the commission had already started investigations into the allegations that the tendering committee had irregularly awarded the tender for the construction of the Sh600 million Mandera Wargadud Airport.

"To facilitate our investigation kindly provide us with copies of the appointment letters of the tender opening committee, tender selling register, tender opening register and copies of the appointment letters for the evaluation committee," read in part the letter dated July 6.

Other documents the EACC asked for include original tender document submitted by the bidders, copy of the tender notice and blank tender document sold or issued to bidders for scrutiny.

"We also need copies of notification award letters to the successful and the unsuccessful bidders. And any other document that may be needed in the course of the investigation," the letter added.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto had commissioned works on the Mandera Wargadud Airport project during a North Eastern tour in March in what was seen as a way of reaching out to the region's leaders.

However, barely weeks after the commissioning, ongoing works on the project had stalled after one of the bidders went to court.

In April, Alawahad Enterprises is reported to have gone to court after receiving a letter from KAA informing them of a joint venture tender between Alawahad, Concordia Build and Civil Engineering.

The parties were supposed to sign the contract on submission of performance guarantee within 28 days from April 11.

The procurement board had, however, revoked the tender instructing KAA to award another bidder SEO and Sons Limited on grounds that the three (Alawahad, Civil Engineering and Concordia) were not responsive.

According to Mandera Governor Ali Roba, construction of the airport is expected to bring in Sh4.5 billion worth of infrastructure in the region which will open it up to more economic opportunities.