The Nairobi County government is facing scrutiny for irregularly awarding tenders to eight companies for supplying street lighting materials at a cost of Sh.313 million during the Financial Year 2022/2023.
This information was disclosed in the quarterly report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which detailed reports submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) from April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024.
The commission noted that the tender was advertised, and contracts were awarded to the eight companies on the same day, violating the 14-day waiting period mandated by 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.
Additionally, the contracts were signed without the presence of an accounting officer, who is responsible for evaluating the quality of a Local Purchasing Order (LPO) agreement. On June 3, the commission submitted the file to the ODPP, seeking to charge the individuals involved in the procurement process with 14 offenses.
These charges include six counts of corrupt practices in procurement, two counts of willful failure to comply with the law, and one count of using false documents. Other charges include two counts of forgery, one count of financial misconduct, neglect of official duty, and conspiracy to commit an offense of corruption.
The EACC recommended that the signed contract be canceled and that disciplinary action be taken against those involved. On July 26, the DPP returned the file and suggested that administrative action be taken against the suspects.
