NaMATA had advertised tender No.MoTIH&UD/NaMATA/VHS-01/2021-2022 for leasing of buses for the Roads Based Rapid Transport (BRT) operations. The tenders were opened on 22nd march 2022 where 9 companies initially sent their bids namely Simba Corporation ltd, Basigo Ltd, Tata Africa Holdings, Tunasco Isaat Ltd, Opibus Ltd, Quip bank Ltd, Rentco Africa Ltd and E-Trade Joint Venture
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The National Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NaMATA) has been caught up in a tender row with Rentco Africa Ltd with claims that the agency’s top officials colluded with certain officers from the office of the Attorney General to delay the signing of a contract which the company had won fairly.
Sources told The Weekly Vision over the weekend that Mr Francis Gitau the Director General (NaMATA), Supply Chain Management Unit head Mr John Maina together with officers from the Attorney general’s office hugely influenced the tender award in favour of a preferred vendor.
According to sources close to Rentco CEO Robert Kanda, NaMATA officers had wished to have their preferred company Tata Africa Holdings Ltd get the said tender, but after it failed, they are now employing delaying tactics to terminate the tender and re-advertise it afresh. NaMATA had advertised tender No.MoTIH&UD/NaMATA/VHS-01/2021-2022 for leasing of buses for the Roads Based Rapid Transport (BRT) operations. The tenders were opened on 22nd march 2022 where 9 companies initially sent their bids namely Simba Corporation ltd, Basigo Ltd, Tata Africa Holdings, Tunasco Isaat Ltd, Opibus Ltd, Quip bank Ltd, Rentco Africa Ltd and E-Trade Joint Venture. Two tenders were considered no-responsive while 7 proceeded to the technical evaluation stage. At the technical evaluation stage, 2 tenders were found to be non-responsive while 4 having attained the minimum technical score were recommended to proceed to the next stage to open their financial proposals.
The Acting head of the Supply Chain Management Unit Mr John Maina in his opinion concurred with the manner in which the committee had handled the evaluation. His opinion was also supported by Acting Director General Francis Gitau.
On 6th April 2022, the committee opened the financial proposals of companies which had scored above the 80% pass mark and Rentco emerged as the lowest bidder but the board in their wisdom considered that since the tender was above Ksh. 5b required the Attorney General to give clearance before the signing of the contracts could proceed. However, this did not go down well with Rentco Ltd who appealed to the review board through a letter dated 23rd February 2023 through the company’s CEO Robert Kanda. Rentko was therefore of the opinion that the delay is a technical way of discontinuing the tender as the validity period was about to expire and again wondered why it was taking too long for the Attorney General to give a green light to proceed and sign the contract.
Sources say NaMATA’s top leadership is plotting how to use delaying tactics until the tender validity period elapses to deny them the tender. It also became clear that NaMATA has not made any efforts to notify the office of the Attorney General to give clearance for the signing of the tender. The Review Board has now ordered the extension of the tender for a further period of 180 days from 27th February 2023 to enable NaMATA to conclude the tender.
