Authority intervenes in county, roads corporation row

PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | FILE Transition Authority chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi addresses participants during a national conference on devolution in Nairobi on September 2, 2013.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• In a letter dated December 19, 2013, however, the Transition Authority warned the county assembly of interfering with the services of a state corporation whose services are not devolved.
• Taita Taveta County Assembly Speaker Meshack Maganga had already written a letter to the roads corporation seeking to stop the awarding of the contracts on grounds that there were 

By Nation Correspondent
More by this Author

The Transition Authority has stepped in to contain a simmering row between a national roads corporation and Taita Taveta County.

At the centre of controversy is the awarding of road maintenance contracts in the devolved unit by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) which the county assembly claims was not done transparently.

In a letter dated December 19, 2013, however, the Transition Authority warned the county assembly of interfering with the services of a state corporation whose services are not devolved.

“Until the functions performed by KeRRA are devolved to the counties, you cannot interfere in the operation of these entities,” Transition Authority chief executive Stephen Makori said.

Taita Taveta County Assembly Speaker Meshack Maganga had already written a letter to the roads corporation seeking to stop the awarding of the contracts on grounds that there were corrupt dealings in the transaction.

In response, the TA said the county assembly does not have any oversight role over KeRRA since that was being done by the National Assembly.

Mr Makori urged the county assembly to adhere to procurement laws, regulations and guidelines while addressing any concerns in relation to procurement.

“Much as the procurement process may be terminated at any stage before a tender is awarded, that must be done according to Public Procurement and Disposal Act as well as the subsidiary legislation,” he said.