Ex-PSs to face House team over National Cereals and Produce Board woes

By Isaiah Lucheli

Nairobi, Kenya: Senior Government officials are set to face hard questions from a parliamentary committee over Sh500 million court award to a company over breached of contract.

Former Permanent Secretaries (PSs) of the ministries of Special Programme, Treasury and Agriculture will face the Parliamentary Investment Committee (PIC) today to explain the circumstances leading to the cancellation of the contract between the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and Erad Suppliers and General Contractors.

The four former PS are expected to explain why the Treasury issued Letter of Credit (LC) to four companies out of the five that had won the tender to supply the maize.

Erad was one of the five companies that had been contracted to supply the maize, but Treasury failed to issue the company with the LC as commitment that the maize supply would be paid for, leading to a protracted court battle and award of Sh500 million.

The four former PSs Dr Romano Kiome (Agriculture), Mr Joseph Kinyua (Finance) and Special Programmes Andrew Mondo and Maalim Mahboub, who are trustees of NCPB, are expected to tell the committee what led to the unprocedural termination of the contract.