MPs want contract awarded to Chinese firm revoked

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU

Kenya: MPs now want the Sh1.2 trillion tender awarded to a Chinese firm revoked and the process restarted.

The lawmakers yesterday said the award of the tender to the China Road and Bridge Corporation was shrouded in secrecy and flouted the procurement laws.

Speaking at a news conference at Parliament Buildings, just a day before President Uhuru Kenyatta breaks ground for the standard gauge railway, the MPs said they supported the project but they were afraid about the colossal amount involved.

Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills) led MPs Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay Town), Simba Arati (Dagoretti North) and Suleiman Dori (Msambweni) in demanding the contract to the Chinese firm reviewed.

“The company has told the Kenyan Government it plans to sub-contract most of its construction works, throwing into doubt the capacity of the company to comprehensively carry out the project,” said Keter.

The MPs said the whole procurement procedure and the amounts involved pointed to a shady deal. They claimed the cost had been inflated from US$2 million to US$6 million.

“Without speculation, we think this is wastage of public funds, another Anglo Leasing in the offing,” claimed Keter.

Dori said they were not against the project, but were afraid public money will be lost.

Kaluma said he was aware of behind-the-scenes machinations in the railway deal following his experience in the dubious concession that let Rift Valley Railways win the tender.

“People hide under good things to do bad things. We sniff and we smell corruption,” said Kaluma.