Sources say the manipulation included the alteration of serial numbers on several documents and the alteration of bill items for rehabilitation works on the Chepsoin-Kapsabet (b12) Road. KeNHA had invited qualified firms to tender for KeNHA/R2/17/2022 for a performance-based contract for the maintenance of the (b12) road through an advertisement on 23rd December 2022
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The Public Procurement Administrative Board has nullified a multi-million shillings tender which had irregularly been awarded to Juvenile Contractors Ltd by The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA). In a ruling dated 5th April 2023, the board noted with concern how the KeNHA tender committee manipulated the process to award a tender to a company in which they had an interest.
Investigations revealed that top KeNHA officials namely Eng. Joan Otike the Assistant Director (Highway Design and Safety) Deputy Director of Supply Chain Management Levina Wanyonyi and Mr Muganda colluded with the management of Juvenile Contractors Ltd whose director is Mukhutar Haji Dakane to manipulate the process.
Sources say the manipulation included the alteration of serial numbers on several documents and the alteration of bill items for rehabilitation works on the Chepsoin-Kapsabet (b12) Road. KeNHA had invited qualified firms to tender for KeNHA/R2/17/2022 for a performance-based contract for the maintenance of the (b12) road through an advertisement on 23rd December 2022.
On 12th January 2023, 21 tenderers submitted their tenders where 18 tenders were found to be non-responsive while three tenders were found to be responsive. At the end of the evaluation, Juvenile Contractors Ltd was found to be the successful tender having quoted the least Ksh. 202,674,566.80.
On 23rd March 2023 Deputy Director of Supply Chain Management Levina Wanyonyi in her professional opinion approved the tender process and concurred that Juvenile Contractors Ltd be awarded the tender. On 3rd March, KeNHA notified the tenderers of the outcome of the evaluation through an intention to award. On 15th March 2023, Shaanxi Investment Ltd through her Director Mary Muchoki having been dissatisfied with the entire process applied for a review of the tender.
The ruling by the board reads in part “The notification to award Tender No. KeNHA/R2/17/2022 for performance-based contract for the maintenance of Chepsoin-Kapsabet (b12) Road to Juvenile Contractors Ltd be and is hereby nullified and set aside” The board further directed KeNHA to proceed with the procurement process to its logical conclusion within 14 days from the date of the judgment (5th April 2023).
