City Hall on the spot over Sh273m garbage tender

City Hall is on the spot over the award of a Sh273.3 million contract for the collection of garbage in the city centre last September.

Aende Group, the firm that won the contract, was only registered last June as opposed to at least one-year experience required for firms to qualify as stated by the tender evaluation committee.

The anamoly was revealed by the firm’s director Derrick Aende on Thursday when he appeared before the House Committee on Environment.

Interested firms were required to have between one and five years of experience in waste collection and transport among other qualifications, according tender evaluation documents.

“The evaluation panel indicated the company had five years of experience and the firm’s director gave a commitment to the committee that the company was registered in June, so that gives you clear indication of malpractice in the procurement,” committee member Silas Matara said.

Documents seen by Business Daily show that City Hall hired Aende Group on September 12 to sweep the streets, empty litter bins and dispose of the waste.

Aende beat three other firms including Creative Consolidated System that had been collecting garbage within the city centre since 2013.

Other firms were Kemnest Investment and Janel Agencies.

Creative Consolidated System had tendered a Sh316.9 million bid while Janel Agencies placed the lowest bid at Sh190.7 million for the two-year contract from last July.

The committee has summoned City Hall’s Environment and Procurement teams next Tuesday alongside the firm in efforts to dig deep into yet another procurement irregularity.

The Kenya National Audit Office had in 2014 raised questions on award of the contract to firms, claiming some of them were not registered while 14 others had not been pre-qualified.

This comes a year after reports that Governor Sonko fell-out with his former deputy Polycarp Igathe over garbage collection with the two vouching for separate entities.

The contract went to Sonko Rescue Team, a non-charitable organisation which is a brainchild of the governor and has been in operation since 2015 running the ‘Operation Ng’arisha Jiji.’ campaign.