PIC launches probe into railway tender

By Cyrus Ombati and Robert Wanyonyi

Kenya: Parliament’s Public Investment Committee (PIC) has launched investigations into Kenya’s second railway tender.

PIC Chairman and Eldas MP Adan Keynan said their investigations were prompted by a directive by the House Speaker before they went on recess.

“So far, we have covered a lot of ground and our technocrats are out there gathering the necessary material to help in this probe,” he said.

Mr Keynan said they intend to summon several Government officials when they start their public hearings before the re-opening of the House in February.

Among those lined up, he said, include Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, the former Kenya Railways Corporation Managing director Nduva Muli and former Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere.  Others include former Finance ministers Robinson Githae, Amos Kimunya and their Permanent Secretaries, Transport Secretary Michael Kamau and the Investment Secretary Esther Koimet among other concerned parties.

Despite the questions being raised in Parliament on how the figure jumped from Sh220 billion to Sh334.8 billion then to Sh1.3 trillion, the Jubilee government maintains the deal was above board. Keynan told journalists the tendering process raises a lot of questions that the public needs answered.

The tendering concerns are informed by a comparative analysis of the railway projects being undertaken by Kenya and Ethiopia. While the Kenyan one is of inferior technology and covering half the distance Ethiopia is constructing, it was expected to cost the Government $3.804 billion (Sh334.8 billion) compared with $3.9 billion (Sh343.2 billion) used by Ethiopia.

Documents quoted by The Standard on Sunday show the locomotives and rolling stocks that include 56 diesel locomotives, 1,620 freight wagons, 40 passenger coaches and one simulator would have cost $1.147 billion (Sh100.936 billion).

At the same time, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula has told President Uhuru Kenyatta to cancel the controversial project to clear doubts over impropriety in the manner in which it was issued to the Chinese company.

Mr Wetang’ula claimed that Sh400 million was given out as kickbacks before the tender was awarded. He claimed to have shared some “substantial information” with Mr Keter (Nandi Hills MP) regarding the matter.

Speaking in Likuyani Constituency, Kakamega County during a homecoming party for Sango Ward County Representative Timothy Mulanda, Wetang’ula said he will not relent in establishing claims of graft emerging within the Government and vowed to expose more.

“I am ready to die exposing the truth. I am challenging the President to immediately cancel that railway tender so that we re-evaluate it because going by the figures dished out, this scandal is both Anglo-leasing and Goldenberg combined,” he said.