This archive report was first published on 3 December 2019.
According to the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), 19 county governments and five county assemblies terminated contracts with different contractors in the quarter ending June. This move could lead to taxpayers facing billions of shillings in potential lawsuits.
During the quarter, only 132 State corporations submitted documents of their procurement processes to the watchdog, as required by the Public Procurement And Disposal Act. A breakdown by PPRA shows that out of the 22 ministries, only four submitted reports about the procurement deals they undertook during the quarter.
PPRA investigated nine tender cases, most of which were awarded fraudulently. The authority also undertook procurement audits on three State corporations, all of which scored dismally. The impromptu audits were on the Agricultural Development Corporation, Agricultural Finance Corporation, and the Attorney General's office, whose scores were way below average.
“These investigations arise from allegations of misconduct in a procurement and disposal operation,” said Chairman Public Procurement Regulatory Board Andrew Musangi. “Some of the complaints were investigated and findings shared with the parties and the law enforcement agencies for further action.”
PPRA received 488 complaints during the quarter under review, 355 of which had been resolved. The complaints were mainly on flaws in tender evaluation and development of specifications, delayed payments, alleged corrupt practices during procurement proceedings, and irregularities during the procurement process.
“All three procuring entities that were audited had an average score of 42.1 per cent, which is considered non-compliant and a high-risk level of 57.9 per cent with the office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice scoring the lowest compliance score of 35.75 per cent,” said PPRA.
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