After Toy market stonning, new findings by EACC reveals massive irregularities in a tender process conducted in the previous year whereby Eight companies to supply street lighting materials at a cost of Ksh.313 million during the Financial Year 2022/2023 were awarded contract on the same day.
This was revealed in the quarterly report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) which covered the reports forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) during the period between April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024.
According to the commission, the tender was advertised and the contracts were awarded to the eight companies on the same day, a violation of the 14-day waiting period in line with the public procurement laws.
“It was also established that the LPOs were signed and issued out to the Suppliers without a preceding acceptance of the awards, in violation of the public procurement laws,” read part of the report.
Further, the contracts were signed without the presence of an accounting officer who is mandated to assess the quality of an LPO (Local Purchasing Order) agreement.
On June 3, 2024, the commission forwarded the file to the ODPP to charge the relevant persons involved in the procurement process with 14 offences.
This includes six counts of corrupt practices in procurement processes, two counts of willful failure to comply with the law, and one count of uttering false documents.
Others are two counts of forgery, one count of financial misconduct, neglecting official duty and conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption.
EACC recommended the signed contract to be cancelled and disciplinary proceedings to be issued against those involved.
On July 26, 2024, the DPP returned the file and recommended administrative action to be taken against the suspects.
The report recommends legal action against several Nairobi County officials, including the Chief Officer for Works and Mobility Dr Machel Waikenda, head of procurement, Finance Officer Asha Abdi and Chairperson of the tender evaluation committee (TEC).
The chair of the tender opening committee, two TEC members and directors of the companies involved have also been implicated.
Ms Abdi previously served as Chief Executive Committee (CEC) Member Finance for Isiolo County and Chief Officer Finance for Mombasa County.
Fredrick Ondari Ochanda another small fish in the pond.
In May, 2024, The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) carried out a targeted raid on a senior government official identified as Fredrick Ondari Ochanda.
Ochanda, serving as the Assistant Director responsible for Development Control in the Built Environment and Urban Planning, came under scrutiny as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption and fraud.
The operation, conducted, unfolded across multiple locations, including Ochanda’s residences in Ngong, Kajiado County, and Suneka, Kisii County, as well as his offices within the Nairobi County Government.
Following the interrogation and statement recording process, Ochanda was released.
“Forfeiture of assets acquired through corruption is provided for under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003 (ACECA). The law provides that a public officer in possession of property whose value is disproportional to their known legitimate sources of income shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to have acquired the property through corrupt conduct,” said the EACC.
The focus of the investigation revolved around suspicions of Ochanda’s involvement in corrupt practices within his department, leading to compromised standards in the grant of approvals for development control in Nairobi.
The EACC, through its spokesperson Eric Ngumbi, highlighted the gravity of the allegations, pointing to the accumulation of significant wealth by Ochanda that appeared disproportionate to his known legitimate income sources.
Assets under scrutiny included cash holdings across multiple bank accounts, prime land parcels, commercial real estate properties, and luxury vehicles. The EACC emphasized that these assets could potentially be linked to corrupt activities, prompting the investigation to ascertain their origins.
Findings by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu in 2023 revealed that taxpayers may have lost Sh2.6 billion in advance payments to contractors for works which have since stalled.
The report revealed that Sh1.6 billion had already been paid out by now-defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) for projects that were yet to be delivered across the city.
These are the expansion of sewer lines and street lighting in Dandora, Kangemi, Kawangware, Dagoretti Corner, Waithaka, Riruta, Kibera, Korogocho, Mathare, Zimmerman, Thome, Githurai 45, Mwihoko, Kasarani and Mwiki.
Draining the swamp at city hall needs total overhaul of the entire executive including the Governor. Party loyalties have also buried the MCAs heads in the sand and gives deaf ears to these malpractices.
KenyanHour 