Three Kenyan Cabinet Secretaries are set to face questioning by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) regarding the awarding of multibillion-shilling dam contracts to CMC di Ravenna, an Italian firm with a history of financial instability and project failures.
The firm, which was downgraded to 'junk company' status by Standard and Poor’s, has faced international scrutiny after being expelled from Nepal over delayed projects. In Kenya, the DCI is probing why the company secured major contracts despite its poor credit rating and lack of construction experience.
Cabinet Secretaries Mwangi Kiunjuri, Eugene Wamalwa, and Simon Chelugui are among those summoned, along with Kerio Valley Development Authority official David Kimosop. Investigators aim to determine why the contracts were awarded hastily and whether due diligence was conducted.
CMC di Ravenna has yet to begin work on the Arror and Kimwarer dams, despite receiving Sh7 billion in payments. The firm’s financial troubles, including a 2019 preventive composition filing in Italy, have raised concerns about its ability to fulfill obligations. Nepal recently terminated its contracts with the company after it failed to meet deadlines.
Political tensions have emerged, with some accusing the DCI of political bias. Senator Kipchumba Murkomen called for expert involvement in the investigation, while the National Treasury confirmed Sh21 billion had been paid to the contractor and an Italian insurance firm.
