Mkulima Moments: Tender chaos save me from big trouble

At no time did I ever imagine that I would be in a pole position to offer tenders in a big establishment.

I only read in newspapers how senior officials in government connived to award tenders to businessmen for kickbacks.

But now, the tenderprenuers came knocking at the Mashambani Dairy Cooperative door.

I never saw it coming and it is all apparent that they boxed me into the game.

I have already used the sand and cement ‘donated’ by Tesh for construction of a cowshed. I bought mineral licks for my calves with the Sh1,000 Mzee Jeremiah handed me the other day.

The Kuroiler cockerel Mzee Kabeca gave me as an early Christmas gift never lived to see the following day.

Wekesa, my farm worker, said there is no way he could sleep in the same house with such a jogoo. It was converted into stew the same night.

Mukwanju and the businesswoman, whose money I unknowingly took, have been calling asking why I don’t want to give them the tender.

I have been overwhelmed, yet Mashambani people are looking forward to the renovations of their cooperative and they trusted me as a level-headed person.

Furthermore, the donor is awaiting our board meeting minutes of awarding the tenders to release the funds. They too had confidence in my leadership.

Wednesday was the tender opening day. All preparations had been done and I had informed the donor that, by Monday next week, they would have the minutes of the tender committee.

OPENING THE TENDER BOX

The tender box was closed with three padlocks. Following advice from Adenya, my city friend, the opening was to be done in the full glare of the Mashambani people. “People will fight you over this. Let everything be done in public before noon,” Adenya said, giving me valuable advice.

I took heed. For transparency, I made effort to invite everybody from Mashambani whom I thought would have vested interest.

Majority of the bidders, as you already know, in one way or the other had approached me for favours.

Mzee Jeremiah confidently arrived first, his head high. “You see, local jobs for local people,” he loudly told a lady.

After his heavy handshake, he positioned himself next to the tender box. Tesh, the aggressive entrepreneur, zoomed in with her father’s Nissan double cabin.

Mukwanju and his lady friend were last to arrive in a Toyota Hilux pick up.

Wandia sent an apology but asked her aunt to represent her. There were other new faces I could not identify but I suspect they were bidders from other areas. These ones had not sought any favours.

Wakageorge was also there as a caterer but all he wanted was an assurance that his brother’s lorry would be used for transport.

After a long prayer from Wandia’s aunt, who wasn’t sure about the tender process, we went straight to the business of the day – opening of the tenders.

All eyes were on the box. Some were tense while others were confident that I would automatically award them.

We then started the first step in tendering, which is the examination of qualification. Mzee Jeremiah’s application was disqualified on technical grounds.

“It lacks a demonstration of the technical know-how of how to carry out the job,” the chairman of the tender committee said.

HELL BROKE LOOSE

Soon after the verdict, hell broke loose. “We cannot allow outsiders to get tenders in Mashambani,” Mzee Jeremiah shouted. Some young men carrying placards joined him as the situation turned chaotic.

“Some have bribed Mkulima!” A lady who seemed to be from the city shouted. Within no time, the tender box was reaped open and some of the documents were torn.

“I can’t lose my cockerel,” Kabeca told me menacingly.

Two police officers rushed in from the nearby patrol base and saved the situation.

After calm returned, the bidders demanded the tenders to be awarded immediately. The volatile situation could not allow.

After picking the tender documents, some torn, the officers escorted me and the tender committee to the cooperative office. While I openly condemned the chaos, I was a happy man because if the meeting had proceeded and the winner announced, the public would have known of the things bidders had handed me.

In the boardroom, since some documents were torn, and there was no time to start the process again, I pushed for single sourcing of the contractor, preferably a Chinese company.

Luckily, the board members sided with me and we all agreed to take responsibility for the decision. Later, we drafted a notice and pasted in different places in Mashambani.

I am waiting to see if there will be any consequences.

For now, all is well.