Just a day after Kurunzi News expose on the cause of the ongoing turmoil at the Kenya Ports Authority, where we exclusively revealed how cartels were baying for the blood of managing director Daniel Manduku, the chips have now fallen on the specific tenders that had left tenderpreneurs breathing fire.
While Kurunzi mentioned only two projects – KPA headquarters construction (KSh7 billion) and the tug boat purchase KSh1.7 billion), it has now emerged that there are six more high-profile tenders worth more than KSh20 billion; all which have been cancelled for various reasons.
The cancellations have been a result of being non-priority, lack of funds to undertake the procurement or the tenders not fitting with the KPA master plan.
Tenders for the purchases for pilot boat (KSh800 million), land at the inland container depot in Nairobi (KSh3 billion), acquisition of equipment (KSh2 billion) and terminal operating system (KSh3 billion) as well as dredging works (KSh2 billion) have all been cancelled.
“In the recent past, we have cancelled up to eight high-profile tenders. We are cognizant to the fact that the competing interests around the procurement have in the past not been in agreement with our decisions,” read a statement by KPA on Tuesday.
“Indeed, we are aware of vast interest created by the type of projects we undertake. The process and outcomes of procurement process have in the past elicited varied reactions.”
Kurunzi is reliably informed that the unscrupulous tenderpreneurship operatives are well known by the KPA top management and have resorted to blackmail with a view to having their way.
However, the tenacity with which the decisions have been taken at the port have left them angry and now opted to use unorthodox means, including using bitter KPA staffers as whistle-blowers to discredit those with the KPA top management they perceive to be the stumbling block to their corrupt dealings through procurement.
The statement confirmed investigations by the directorate of criminal investigations were going on, describing the probe as “an important exercise that is poised to review our adherence to laid down processes.”
“It is therefore, in the interest of all that the investigators are left to do their job independently with the appropriate rigor to enable the public to get accurate information.
“As a State Corporation and as per our organizational core value, we actively inform the public on all matters of concern, including but not limited to, expenditure, operational changes and procurement. Equally, we are subject to audits and investigations.”
The statement signed off by the corporate affairs department and which will appear in the national dailies Wednesday, voiced the authority’s concern over “the calculated efforts towards a pre-determined cause by invoking speculations in the court of public opinion.”
“The need for mutual accountability and professionalism is at the heart of our mutual ventures with our partners. The positive impact of the measures we have undertaken is clear. There is increased efficiency in cargo handling which has translated to higher revenues and profitability.”
Some of the measures which have rattled the cartels is the reshuffling of top managers through a board decision taken on 14 May 2019.
One of those affected by the shake-up, a Mr Joseph Okhako, reportedly bitter with being moved from being in charge of the ethics docket to Kisumu; is the whistleblower, whose letter to the DCI has been the basis of “adverse media reports by a section of the press”.
Sources have told Kurunzi “the shrewd mandarins are using a well-known hatchet man, with strong media networks, who is splashing money to produce the negative headlines targeting their ‘enemies’ at KPA”.
