Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro Faces Scrutiny Over Irregular Tender Payments Totaling Sh300M

Kilifi governor Gideon Mung’aro is having sleepless nights over Sh300 million tender awards hanging on his neck in what may mar his political career.

Matters have taken a new twist after a human rights group demanded details of the Sh300 million garbage collection tenders amid corruption allegations said to have been manifested by the governor.

The lobby group has written to the county secretary Martin Mwaro seeking details related to the controversial two garbage collection tenders.

In a letter dated August 28 2024, the human rights watchdog seeks clarity on the tendering process for the two contracts.

The tenders in question are Tender No CGK/MM/OT/027/2023/2024 for garbage collection and disposal services in Malindi town and its environs and Tender No KCG/ WEFNR/1246119/2023/2024 for garbage collection, and disposal in Mtwapa town and surrounding areas.

The issue was first raised in the county assembly but was reportedly dismissed by the relevant committee.
The county assembly’s environmental committee has remained conspicuously silent on the matter.

In the letter, the group is now requesting documents outlining the tender invitations, as per Section 74 of the public procurement asset and disposal Act of 2015, as well as the list of bidding entities, tender opening minutes, and advisory opinions from the head of procurement regarding these tenders.

The lobby group also seeks original bid documents from tendering entities, evidence proving the awarded companies qualifications and minutes from the evaluation and tendering committee.

Other documents requested include the procurement plan, performance bonds, payment vouchers and inspection reports related to payments for the tenders.
The lobby group has threatened to seek legal redress against the Mung’aro-led administration.

The two tenders were initially floated during the 2022/2023 financial year and were carried over to the 2023/2024 financial year.

The companies involved were poised to win the same tenders for the 2024/2025 financial year, aided by the county’s adoption of a two-year pre-qualification framework.

This approach, it is argued, limited business to a few well connected cartels within the revenue office, finance department, procurement desk and the governor’s office.

The lobby group claims the tendering process was predetermined with minimal oversight from the relevant offices.

For instance, tender No CGK/MM/OT/027/2023/2024 for garbage collection in Malindi was initially awarded at Sh35 million during the 2022/2023 financial year.

However, the tender was later revised upwards to Sh83 million, benefiting Jickram Investment a company notorious for tender controversies.
The extra Sh50 million was reportedly shared among key players.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission investigated the tender following public complaints that the awarded company lacked the necessary qualifications and experience in garbage collection.
Jickram Investment bid Sh3, 490,000 for the tender, while other companies such as Binzin Supplies Ltd (Sh3,400,000), Masharubu Co Ltd (Sh3,700,000) and Lanahoran Investments (Sh3,698,000) were overlooked.

A similar scenario was witnessed with tender No KCG/WEFNR/1246119/2023/2024 for garbage collection in Mtwapa, sparking public outrage given the continued presence of garbage in the area.

When this matter surfaced in March 2024, Kilifi MCAs reportedly accepted bribes to drop the issue.
Both the EACC and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations are silent on the matter.

Last year, Governor Mung’aro sacked the entire Malindi municipal board, which was responsible for overseeing city affairs, development policies, land use and public health initiatives.

The governor’s decision followed public complaints about the stench from unmanaged garbage.
After disbanding the board, Mung’aro presented a new list of board members to the county assembly, which included Suleiman Omar as acting chairman, Clara Mkambe and Agnes Muturi as members.

Residents now suspect this was a calculated move to ensure certain companies remained in control of garbage collection, free from board interference.
Governor Mung’aro has also faced scrutiny from Auditor General Nancy Gathungu who flagged the Kilifi county government for irregular payments and procurement activities.

The 2022/2023 audit revealed that Sh177,094,193 was paid for specialized materials and services and Sh298, 029,333 for road construction without proper documentation.

The county was also questioned over a Sh27,777,000 payments for seeds, fertilizers and farm implements.
The audit revealed that there was no proof of beneficiary identification, ownership of land, or evidence of testing for viability and suitability of the inputs by the department of agriculture.

Further, there was concern raised over a Sh62,000,000 payments to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority for medical supplies with the audit revealing lack of proper inventory documentation in violation of the public procurement and asset disposal Act 2015.