A Kemsa warehouse.[Photo/peopledaily]
A multi-billion shilling contract to construct a new warehouse by Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) is now the subject of controversy with several local companies contesting the awarding of the tender to an Indian firm.
The Sh4.3 billion tender was awarded last month to an Indian company in a process that bidders say was flawed and premeditated.
Already, four firms have filed appeals with the Public Procurement Complaints, Review and Appeals Board (PPCRAB) and the hearings have been scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday.
Apart from the main tender, there were six specialised sub-contract tenders, which include, electrical works, plumbing, drainage, fire fighting, among others.
In their plaints, the firms, Central Electrical Limited, EPCO Builders LTD, Millicon Contractors and Amiran Communications have complained of favouritism in the award of the lucrative tenders.
Officials from some of the above companies, whom we talked to, said the process was flawed and it was clear that the winners were known even before the tenders were flouted.
According to one of the firms, evaluation of the bids was done in a record two days at a “hideout” in Naivasha.
Though the management insists the evaluation was done in eleven days, the unsuccessful companies maintained that evaluation of the bids was shrouded in secrecy and professionalism was not followed.
A case in point is the plumbing, drainage and firefighting works tender awarded to Volcanic Plumbing works Limited for Sh 200 million which the losing bidders claim was inflated and unfairly awarded.
In a letter to one of the bidders, China Fire Engineering Company Ltd, the authority acting Chief Executive Officer Charles Juma, the firm lost the bid because it did not provide a valid and current County Government Plumbers licence. But the firm is disputing the explanation since it was a requirement in the bid document.