This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
Pauline Kamau, a close confidant of Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, has found herself at the center of a tender scandal in the county. According to testimony presented during the impeachment trial of Governor Waiguru, Pauline was involved in the irregular chairing of tender evaluation committees, awarding contracts to preferred companies.
Pauline, who hails from Nyeri County, was appointed as the director of administration in Kirinyaga County in 2017, despite lacking the required qualifications for the position. Her appointment was described as irregular by Kennedy Ngiavi, the chairman of the Kirinyaga Public Service Board.
Ngiavi testified that Pauline did not possess the necessary undergraduate degree required for the position and had only 2 years of experience, far short of the 10 years required. He also stated that the board had written a protest letter to Governor Waiguru, expressing their concerns about her appointment.
Pauline's involvement in tender evaluation committees was also a subject of controversy. According to testimony, she chaired nearly every tender evaluation committee dealing with multi-million shilling contracts, alongside ICT advisor Wayne Gichira. The two were accused of awarding tenders to companies preferred by Governor Waiguru, in contravention of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act 2015.
One of the tenders awarded by Pauline's committee was for a Sh30 million project for the construction of phase one of Kagio Matatu Park. The tender was supposed to be reserved for persons with disabilities, but it was awarded to Jipsy Civil and Building Contractors Limited, despite the company not being listed in the AGPO certified list at the time.
Pauline's actions were described as driven by nepotism, favoritism, and corrupt purposes, in complete disregard of the provisions of the constitution. The impeachment trial of Governor Waiguru highlighted the irregularities in the tendering process and the involvement of her close confidants in the scandal.
