Wamalwa, his PS at loggerheads over irregular award of Sh3bn tender

juma chrispinus

March 29, 2017 8:57 AM

Mr Wamalwa last week warned his PS that he would be held personally responsible of his decision.

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A heated controversy is brewing in Mr Eugene Wamalwa’s Water and Irrigation ministry.

The controversy could see Kenyans lose Sh3 billion shillings in a protracted construction of a dam through a tender which was awarded to a Chinese firm.

Water Principal Secretary Patrick Nduati Mwangi has evidently defied his boss Mr Wamalwa, going ahead to award a controversial dam construction tender.

PS Mwangi awarded the Sh62.3 billion Thwake dam construction contract to the second lowest evaluated bidder STECOL Corporation (Sino Hydro Tianjin Engineering Co Ltd). He later proceeded to inform the lowest bidder, China Gezhouba Construction Group Corporation (CGGC), that its bid was unsuccessful.

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China Gezhouba won the tender at the Tender Processing Evaluation Committee (TPC) stage after putting in a bid of Sh36.9 billion for the first phase of the multi-billion shilling dam.

On the other hand, the Ministerial Tender Committee (MTC), which was appointed by Mr Mwangi, instead went ahead and awarded the contract to (Sino Hydro), valued at Sh39.5 billion.

“In line with the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005, Section 83(1), you are notified that your bid for construction of Thwake Multi-Purpose Water Development Programme Phase I has been successfully…subject to successful negotiation to the lowest bidder price of Sh36,971,346,444,” Mr Mwangi said in a letter to Sino-Hydro dated Monday 27, 2017.

Mr Wamalwa and Mr Mwangi have been at loggerheads over the award of the tender that the two Chinese firms—CGGC and Sino Hydro—have been battling for, causing a war between the two officials.

In a turn around, Mr Wamalwa last week warned Mr Mwangi that he would be held personally responsible if his decision.

Mr Mwangi had earlier alleged before the MPs that he would back the decision of the MTC saying China Gezhouba was blacklisted by the AfDB and the World Bank for “integrity issues.”

juma chrispinus