The Nairobi County government has been scrutinized for allegedly irregularly awarding tenders to eight companies for the supply of street lighting materials, totaling Ksh. 313 million.
This was disclosed in a quarterly report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which includes reports submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) from April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024.
The EACC report highlighted the flawed tender process. The eight companies were awarded contracts on the same day the tender was advertised, contravening the 14-day waiting period mandated by public procurement laws.
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Additionally, the Local Purchasing Orders (LPOs) were signed and issued to the suppliers without the required acceptance of the awards, further breaching public procurement regulations.
Moreover, the contracts were finalized without the involvement of an accounting officer, whose responsibility is to evaluate the quality of the LPO agreements. On June 3, 2024, the EACC forwarded the investigation file to the ODPP, recommending charges against the individuals involved in the procurement process for 14 offenses.
These include six counts of corrupt procurement practices, two counts of willful non-compliance with the law, one count of uttering false documents, two counts of forgery, financial misconduct, neglect of official duty, and conspiracy to commit corruption.
The EACC also suggested canceling the signed contracts and calling for disciplinary measures against those implicated. On July 26, 2024, the DPP returned the file, recommending administrative actions against the suspects involved.
