Questions are being raised over procurement practices at the Kenya Institute for the Blind, with a complaint submitted to anti-corruption and procurement authorities stating a possible preferential treatment, conflicts of interest and improper payments involving officials and suppliers.
According to the former supplier who was double crossed, Modern Solutions, owned by Leah Gakii, has received major contracts from the institution over a decade.
The complaint also names procurement officer Lawrence Kinyua and raises questions over M-Pesa and bank transactions involving him and suppliers, including payments that were made after tenders were awarded.
The complainant further questions why premises associated with Modern Solutions are located within the Kenya Institute for the Blind compound while the company continues to receive contracts.
The complaint also raises concerns over a Sh200 million tender involving the Communications Authority of Kenya, stating that Modern Solutions was favoured during the procurement process and received inside information.
Below is the complaint exactly as submitted:
URGENT REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED PROCUREMENT IRREGULARITIES, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND POSSIBLE BRIBERY AT KENYA INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND COMPANY UNDER MINISTRY OF EDUCATION.
I am a frustrated honest supplier for the Kenya Institute for the Blind and am raising serious concerns regarding procurement practices at the institution. These concerns relate to what I believe may be a long-running pattern of preferential treatment of one supplier (MODERN SOLUTION) OWNED BY LEAH GAKII, possible conflicts of interest, possible bribery and potential misuse of public funds making other genuine honest business people miss out on supplier opportunities because we refuse to pay bribes.
I’m also coming to public because this issue i've reported many times before to [email protected], [email protected] and also the ombudsman offices receiving millions in public funds but never check emails where people report corruption hawajawai act on such crucial evidence.
I am requesting an independent investigation that I believe the relevant procurement; financial and communication records can establish whether the allegations below are substantiated.
- Repeated awards to one supplier
One of the principal concerns is the repeated involvement of a company known as Modern Solutions in supplying goods and services to the Kenya Institute for the Blind for over 13 years running.
Based on my experience as a former supplier and information I have gathered through private paid investigation, I am concerned that Modern Solutions has repeatedly illegally received nearly all major contracts from the institution running into millions of shillings over a prolonged period by getting inside information from a rude arrogant Lawrence Kinyua the institution procurement officer. And below ill attach Mpesa transaction evidences of Leah Gakii and other suppliers paying Lawrence Kinyua and successfully getting tenders.
I would therefore request investigators to examine procurement records covering approximately the last 14 years, including:
- Tender advertisements and tender documents
- Bids submitted by competing suppliers
- Evaluation committee reports
- Tender opening records
- Award notifications
- Local purchase orders
- Contracts
- Delivery and inspection records
- Payment records
- Any procurement complaints and responses
- Records showing the prices submitted by competing suppliers
The purpose of this review would be to establish whether Modern Solutions has received an unusually high proportion of contracts and whether procurement procedures were consistently followed.
- Concerns regarding the procurement officer and Top management.
I specifically request an investigation into the conduct of Mr. Lawrence Kinyua, the director and board of management into how open corruption and illegal payments are done under their very noses are they also being bribed too by modern solution? I allege that their actions may have contributed to Modern Solutions repeatedly obtaining contracts from the institution.
- Alleged payments involving the procurement officer through mpesa and bank transfers
A particularly serious concern relates to M-Pesa transactions involving Mr. Lawrence Kinyua and a person associated with Modern Solutions.
I state this specifically because I have previously raised concerns regarding transactions which I believe may be relevant to an investigation into possible bribery or improper payments.
I previously submitted information concerning these alleged transactions to relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Education and they have never bothered to act.
the transactions I’m providing are genuine and connected to the procurement process, investigators should establish:
- Who sent the money?
- Who received it?
- The dates and amounts involved.
- Whether the sender was connected to Modern Solutions.
- Whether the recipient was involved in procurement decisions.
- Whether the payments had any legitimate explanation.
- Whether similar transactions occurred over a longer period.
Another matter requiring investigation is the reported presence of premises associated with Modern Solutions within the Kenya Institute for the Blind compound.
I believe investigators should establish:
- How the premises came to be located within the institution.
- Whether there was a formal agreement or authorisation.
- Who approved it.
- Whether rent or other consideration was paid.
- Whether the arrangement created an actual or perceived conflict of interest. How does the company getting millions in tenders from Kenya institute for the blind given space to rent within the compound? That’s conflict of interest.
- Whether the supplier continued receiving contracts while operating from premises within the institution. (she currently has won a tender of 200 million while being a tenant at Kenya institute for the blind compound) to supplier equipment’s to Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) tender number CA/SCMOT/10/2025-2026. Where I highly believe modern solution was coached by Lawrence Kinyua and and I got inside information of also a Mr. Paxton who works for CAK on how to quote and bill for her to be the lowest bidder winning recently a 200 million Kenya shillings tender which we also had applied as entrepreneurs but we were kicked out by a shambolic favored process which was tailored only to fit Modern solution by bribery.
This should be verified through official records. I therefore request an immediate independent examination of:
- The original project proposal.
- The source and terms of the funding.
- The approved budget.
- Technical specifications.
- Market price information.
- Tender documents.
- All bids submitted.
- Evaluation criteria.
- Evaluation committee reports.
- Reasons for the selected award.
- Prices submitted by every bidder.
- Whether the proposed devices meet the actual needs of blind learners.
- Whether the devices represent value for public money.
- Any relationship between the supplier and officials involved in the procurement.
- All payments made or proposed under the procurement.
- Why I am reporting this, as a supplier, I became concerned because my experience led me to question why competing suppliers could repeatedly struggle to obtain contracts while one supplier appeared to receive substantial opportunities. My concern is not simply that one company wins tenders. A supplier can legitimately win multiple tenders if it satisfies the applicable requirements. My concern is whether the repeated pattern, the procurement decisions, relationships between individuals, financial transactions and other circumstances demonstrate improper influence or corruption.
Investigation should establish whether there has been:
- Bid manipulation or unfair evaluation.
- Conflict of interest.
- Undue influence.
- Improper payments or bribery.
- Abuse of office.
- Procurement law violations.
- Inflated or noncompetitive pricing.
- Misuse of public resources.
- Failure to obtain value for money.
- Any other offence or administrative breach established by the evidence.
This complaint is made in the public interest, particularly because the funds involved are intended to support learners with visual disabilities instead are being eaten by greedy government employees by quoting high figures so as to get their cut.
I therefore respectfully ask the relevant authorities to independently verify these allegations and make appropriate findings based on the evidence.
Images below are previous mpesa transactions between the procurement officer and the owner of modern solution LEAH GAKII which we managed to get by hiring a private investigator. explain to us why LEAH GAKII someone who has been supplying millions in a public institution where you are the procurement officer is sending you money on mpesa? And to your Sacco accounts?
Just go to Safaricom, saccos and banks owned by Lawrence Kinyua and the directors you will find a trail of evidence of money sent by Leah gakii of modern solution.
Investigation also received damning evidence of another supplier called Tito Kiplagat paying Mr. Kinyua money into his saccos account after winning a tender that other suppliers had also applied and failed. This also makes sense into why the procurement officer has successfully managed to open multiple businesses with proceeds of corruption.
The government is going to pay 200 million to a project that was tailored to look so important for blind learners. Which was manufactured by corrupt officials at CAK and KIB so as to get their cuts.