Kenyan MPs have raised urgent questions about the government's payment of Sh24.9 million to a contractor for a perimeter wall at Shimo la Tewa Maximum Prison in Mombasa, which later collapsed. The audit of the State Department for Correctional Services' 2020/21 financial year highlighted irregularities in the 225-meter wall's construction and the rapid awarding of the contract.
The contract, awarded to Trans Border Enterprises Company Limited through restricted tendering, violated the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal (PPAD) Act of 2015. Documents show the contractor accepted the deal on April 3, 2017, and signed the contract the following day—contrary to legal requirements mandating a 14-day gap between notification and signing.
Construction began on April 21, 2017, with payments totaling Sh24.9 million disbursed by May 2018. However, the wall collapsed in July 2018, with 95 meters collapsing between watchtowers two and three. A second section of 130 meters on the southern side collapsed in July 2021, compromising prison security. Auditors confirmed the wall remained unrepaired as of October 2021.
Correctional Services Commissioner-General Brig (Rtd) John Warioba acknowledged the collapse posed a national security risk, urging the National Security Council to intervene. Public Accounts Committee chairman Opiyo Wandayi criticized the rushed procurement process, calling it a potential scheme to siphon public funds. The committee demanded explanations for the delayed reconstruction and questioned the adequacy of alternative security measures.
Principal Secretary Safina Kwekwe defended the urgent award, citing the prison's need for a perimeter wall. However, she failed to clarify why reconstruction efforts stalled or confirm the contractor's prequalification status. The committee noted the absence of a report from officers tasked with investigating the collapse, deepening concerns about accountability.
