By The Weekly Vision Team
A section of Kilifi County MCAs has called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to quickly move in and investigate Governor Gideon Mung’aro over his role in the purchase of sports equipment valued at Ksh. 200 million for the Governor’s Cup football tournament. The MCAs had earlier requested the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) to probe how the Ksh. 200 million tenders had been processed.
The purchase of the sports equipment was for the Governor’s Cup football tournament launched in October last year. PPRA, in a letter dated November 24, 2023, to the County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Economic Planning, Raymond Ngala, requested details of the processing of the tender under the Kilifi Department of Sports and Youth Affairs.
The letter reads in part, “We have received a complaint letter dated November 22, 2023, relating to the processing of the tender for the purchase of sports equipment for the Governor’s Cup—County Government of Kilifi Department of Sports and Youth Affairs.”.
The letter further reads, “In view of the above and pursuant to Section 34 of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015, you are required to provide an explanation on the status of the contract(s) cited above, if any, and under what circumstances you have processed the subject procurement process by following the document.” Sources stated that PPRA requested the approved budget for the financial year 2022-2023 with a procurement plan for the same, a purchase requisition, a tender invitation notice, a blank copy of the tender documents as issued to the bidders, and appointment letters to the tender committee.
Other documents requested were a copy of the evaluation committee report, the practising licence of the head of procurement and all the procurement professionals, and contract agreements, among others.
However, the county, in response to the PPRA request dated December 1, 2023, denied having any such tender. The letter from the Finance CECM to PPRA reads, “We are in receipt of your letter referenced PPRA/DG/3/10 Vol.III dated November 24, 2023. We wish to respond and state that we do not have a tender for the purchase of sports equipment for the Governor’s Cup, as stated.
However, the PPRA seemed not convinced, and in a letter dated December 4, 2023, the PPRA wrote, “However, this authority has information that the subject procurement was conducted by your procuring entity, which processed tenders for supply and delivery of branded sports kits, tender numbers KCG/GCSS/1240244-2022/2023 and 1247713-2022/2023.”.
Based on the above information, PPRA wrote yet another letter, which reads, “In that regard, in exercise of the powers conferred to me by Section 35(1) of the Act, I have appointed a team of officers from the authority to investigate the subject matter.” the authority wrote.
The controversial Governor’s Cup was launched by Mung’aro and attracted 245 teams from across Kilifi County.
