MP dismisses State’s stand on rail tender

By MOSES NJAGIH

An MP has dismissed the position given by Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau that China does not encourage competitive bidding in awarding tenders.

Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter produced two documents to prove the contrary.

The legislator produced a letter from the then Treasury PS Joseph Kinyua to China Ambassador Zhang Ming over a concessional loan that the government had accessed from China for the Kenya Rural Telecommunications Development Project, where he asks the China Government to ensure that the project is tendered competitively.

In its response, dated March 27, the China Government states that it had no objections to the requirement of competitive tendering by the Chinese companies.

When he appeared before the Public Investment Committee (PIC), Kamau had claimed that the Chinese firms are not subjected to competitive bidding and it was for these reasons that the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) was granted the contract for the SGR.

“It is apparent that the CS lied to this committee that the Chinese laws do not favour competitive bidding. He should have provided documentary evidence to prove these claims,” said Keter, who appeared before PIC accompanied by his lawyer, Ahmednassir Abdulahi.

Yesterday, Keter presented a World Bank document revealing CRBC, among a host of other Chinese firms, is blacklisted by the Bank over fraud in relation to a road project in the Philippines.

The MP also produced another bid invited by the Internal Security Ministry for the communication system of the Kenya Police Service, which was also granted after a negotiated concessionary loan with the China Government.

TWO INSTANCES

“It cannot be true that the China Government could not subject our railway tender to a competitive tendering process. These two instances show that it happens and could have happened in our case as well. This is only Kamau’s deceit,” said Keter.

The MP introduced former Prime Minister Raila Odinga into the debacle, producing evidence to show that he chaired an initial meeting which was attended by CRBC and the Transport Ministry officials, and which later saw the China company granted the contract by the Kenya Railways Corporation.

The revelations on Raila’s involvement necessitated calls by committee members on the former PM to appear before PIC as a witness. Also to be called is former Transport Minister Chirau Mwakwere, who was accused of giving “sweeping statements” which he could not substantiate.