Resign? Not me, asserts Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi

By Augustine Oduor

Nairobi, Kenya: Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Jacob Kaimenyi has said that he will not resign over the botched laptops tendering process.

Prof Kaimenyi said his ministry did its best during the procurement process of 1.2 million laptops for Standard One.

The CS, however, vowed that firm action will be taken against officials who may have misled the ministry on the tendering process.

“I have not failed Jubilee Government in any way. I will not resign because my conscience is clear. When I do self-evaluation I can tell with absolute confidence that there is no justification whatsoever that presupposes that I did wrong,” he said.

MPs on Wednesday demanded the sacking of the Cabinet Minister and threatened to move a censure motion against him if the President does not fire him.

Kaimenyi, however, said yesterday that he was ready to go to court and defend himself if there is incriminating evidence showing that he did anything wrong.

Addressing the press in Nairobi, the CS said the ministry will undertake a postmortem and that firm action will be taken against anyone found guilty of misadvising the ministry.

“We cannot condone corruption and punishable mistakes. Appropriate action will be taken against those people who may have misled the process,” he said.

The CS said the tendering process will start afresh from the best and final offer stage as directed by the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.

“I would like to acknowledge, appreciate and will implement the decision of the review board,” he said.

The board directed the ministry to complete the exercise within 45 days from the day they made their verdict on the tender award appeal.

He said the ministry will not argue with or even contest the ruling of the review board because it is a constitutional office recognised in law.

Public interest

“To the best of my knowledge, honesty and accountability we owe Kenyans have guided our every step in this process. In making the award decision, therefore, we sought to get the best value for the taxpayers money and to serve the public interest,” he said.

Kaimenyi added that after thorough investigation and self-audit, the ministry may consider reconstituting the ministerial tender committee and also shape the due diligence team.

He said the entire process will be conducted successfully. “I assure the public that we shall work within the 45 days indicated in the ruling of review board to expedite the process from the stage it has been stipulated we proceed from. This will ensure that we deliver within the law,” he said.

The directive by the review board now moves the battle to how best the two companies — Chinese firm, Haier Electricals Appliances Corporation Limited and Hewlett-Packard Limited from Europe (HP) once it starts from best and final offers (Bafo).

“The procurement entity is directed to proceed with the tender process from the point of the opening of the best and final offers and thereafter conduct due diligence in accordance with the criteria set under clauses 34.2, 34.3 and 34.4,” said Josephine Mong’are, chairperson of the review board.

Details from the previous Bafo process indicate that item price quotations and value additions proposed by the bidding forms will determine who takes the lucrative 1.2 million tender award.