By EDWIN MUTAI, emutai@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
- Committees raise concerns over tendering a day after contract signed.
Two parliamentary committees have directed the Energy
ministry to stop the construction of the Nairobi-Mombasa pipeline until
the National Assembly clears the deal that was signed Tuesday between
the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) and Lebanese firm, Zakhem.
Public Investments Committee (PIC) says KPC managing
director Charles Tanui ignored summons from the watchdog that was
probing the Sh43 billion deal.
On Wednesday, it ordered Mr Tanui to appear before
it Tuesday as the Parliamentary Energy Committee accused KPC of flouting
requirements in awarding the tender to Zakhem.
The KPC on Tuesday signed the contract with the
Lebanese firm, which was to start construction next month and end by
September 2016 for a pipeline designed to meet petroleum products demand
for the eastern Africa region up to the year 2044.
“It seems the activities, the way it is being pursued and fast-tracked is suspect,” said Adan Keynan, the PIC chair.
“We advise the government and in particular Energy
and Petroleum cabinet secretary Davis Chirchir to suspend the
implementation or signing of project until all emerging issues are
sorted out by elected representatives of people.”
PIC directed the Auditor-General Edward Ouko to
conduct a forensic audit of entire project from tendering to the award
of the contract.
The watchdog directed the Sergeant-At-Arms to issue
summons to Mr Tanui, who risk arrests on failure to appear before the
committee Tuesday for contempt to Parliament.
The tendering row looks set to delay the
construction of the 450km pipeline which will replace the existing one
which has outlived its 30-year lifespan and is prone to leaks.
Zakhem, which constructed the Mombasa-Nairobi
pipeline that has been in use since 1978, beat 12 other companies for
the mega tender—which is the latest government contract to run into
tendering headwinds.
The complaint mainly centred on Zakhem’s financial
bid, with some of its rivals claiming that the Lebanese firm may have
engaged in ‘‘price under-cutting’’ to lock them out of the job.
Zakhem placed a financial bid of Sh43 billion which
was Sh7 billion less than the amount KPC had projected to spend on the
project.
Evaluation of financial bids has also been questioned with some losing bidders saying it happened in a record 10 hours.
“Whether this contract was signed yesterday or
today, we can annul it as a House. As far as we are concerned, this
tender has been done in an opaque way,” said Nicholas Gumbo, a member of
the Energy committee.
No comments :
Post a Comment