DCI probes Kenya Airways over maintenance tenders

Jacob Ng'etich  The procurement department of Kenya Airways is under scrutiny over flawed process in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the aircraft engines for the financial years 2017/2018 and 2018/2019. The Director of Criminal Investigations has asked KQ management to furnish it with documents to facilitate investigations into 18 critical areas deemed to have been flouted. In a letter dated September 2 by Abdalla Komesha, the officer in charge with Banking Fraud Investigations Unit, the DCI wants KQ to supply documents on Procurement Guidelines of 2015. In what is seen as a probe that will reveal the deals KQ entered into resulting in loss of Sh100 billion, the detectives have also demanded procurement and budget plans. SEE ALSO :Uganda Airline launches commercial flights
Under scrutiny is the list of pre-qualified suppliers for the period between 2015 and 2018 for maintenance, repair and overhaul of the aircraft engines. The detectives are also investigating the composition of the tender and procurement committee for the two financial years. In a letter to KQ Managing director Sebastian Mikosz, Mr Komesha has demanded documents on the composition of the technical and evaluation committee, tender evaluation reports and final sourcing reports.

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The probe will encompass the composition on the board of KQ board members and its structure.  Komesha at the same time wants KQ to furnish his office with contract documents, payment documents and all correspondences about the tender including e-mails. SEE ALSO :Kenya Airways half-year loss doubles to Sh8.5 billion
The DCI is conducting a probe to ascertain whether staff conspired to bring down the airline. The detectives also want to establish why the tender committee of the national carrier has been denying local low cost hoteliers business in favour of expensive players even as it struggles to stay afloat. The move to cancel some contracts with the hotels arising from the bookings occasioned by delayed flights has sparked anger and revolt from the affected players.