This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
Published on June 21, 2020, a Kenyan court ruled that the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project violated the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005. In response, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi has called for Treasury CS Ukur Yattani and Transport CS James Macharia to provide clarity on the project's compliance with procurement laws.
Mudavadi acknowledged the SGR project's significance as one of Kenya's largest single investments, stating that its value should be felt in the lives of Kenyan people and the economy of the region.
He cited the court ruling, which set aside the High Court's judgment that the SGR procurement was exempt from certain provisions of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005. The appellate court declared that Kenya Railways Corporation failed to comply with Article 227 (1) of the Constitution and Sections 6 (1) and 29 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005, in the procurement of the SGR project.
Mudavadi wants the two cabinet secretaries to explain how the project's procurement process was handled, particularly in relation to the involvement of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), which was blacklisted by the World Bank for engaging in corruption in a road project in the Philippines.
He also wants the CSs to clarify how the project's procurement process will affect Kenya's international relationships, particularly with China, one of the key financiers of the SGR project.
