Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has been caught up in yet another multi-billion-shilling scandal at City Hall just weeks after he authorized payment of billions of shillings to firms that supplied nothing to the County.
Sakaja has defied procurement laws, the EACC and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority and he has irregularly awarded a Sh47 billion for Dandora Waste to Energy Project.
According to sources Sakaja is now expected to make private trip to Dubai later this week to seal the deal with the firm that has been awarded the tender.
Amidst DCI investigations into the 1.4B Irregular payments to hot air supplies, the new scandal has emerged at Nairobi City County government shocking County staff and DCI sleuths.
In the first major scandal of the Kenya Kwanza Administration, the county of Nairobi has committed to pay Ksh47b to a Chinese Company in a tender marred with irregularities.
Complaints have already been filed with PPRA and EACC where-in tenders were not opened and others dismissed during opening to enable one company to be awarded out of 36 prequalified bidders.
Sources intimate that no evaluation was conducted and the award has been bulldozed in a brazen extortion scheme to award the biggest tender in the Kenya Kwanza Administration so far to a single bidder.
Concerns raised by PPRA on the tender process have been ignored. Also ignored are concerns by County Staff including members of the Procurement Department on the irregular process that led to the award of multi billion tender.
Concerns have been raised on the ability of the Nairobi County Government to commit the National Government to Ksh47b without provision in the County Budget or concurrence by the National Government.
This is all amid High Court orders instructing the decommissioning of the Dandora Dumpsite to address environmental and social concerns by affected parties. Sources confirm that the tender process was rushed locking out 35 prequalified bidders and ejecting others who returned documents in order to effect award to a single bidder.
Despite all concerns, the County has proceeded to award the tender under Ref NCC/RM/VOL.358/ITEM.NO.01/287/A./3882/2022-2023 dated 25th July 2023. The award has come as a shock to County Staff due to the secrecy associated with the process.
Following the irregularities, Sakaja is embarking on an international trip, presumably, to collect the proceeds of the fraudulent action.
This comes hot on the heels of DCI investigations on Ksh1.4b paid to paid suppliers who supplied nothing to the County. Nairobi County has now appeared as the weakest link to the fight against grand corruption by the administration of President William Ruto.
