County rejects Sh34m grader over defects and demands new machine from supplier
What you need to know:
- The government has now given Legend Petroleum Equipment Limited who won the tender, seven days to supply another machine.
- The firm also failed to deliver all mandatory service parts for 2,000 hours of operation, manufacturer’s toolkit as well as standard and specialized tools as required.
- The grader also lacks reflective chevrons at the rear, licence plate holders at front and rear to conform to the Kenyan Traffic Act.
Laikipia county government has rejected a Sh34m grader a contracted firm supplied for failing to conform to required specifications.
According to an inspection report by experts from the ministry of Transport, the machine, the first of the three to be delivered, is old and has numerous defects.
The government has now given Legend Petroleum Equipment Limited who won the tender, seven days to supply another machine.
“The equipment you availed for inspection is not compliant with the specifications and has major components missing, wrong transmission configuration and is not new besides other omissions,” head of the supply chain management Paul Njenga said in a letter to the supplier.
Although the firm had initially indicated it is a dealer in plant equipment and was capable of offering after sales and back-up services, it has emerged that it is not.
The firm also failed to deliver all mandatory service parts for 2,000 hours of operation, manufacturer’s toolkit as well as standard and specialized tools as required.
The grader also lacks reflective chevrons at the rear, licence plate holders at front and rear to conform to the Kenyan Traffic Act.
The supplier also failed to provide literature for the equipment such as operator’s manual, parts catalogue and shop manual.
Plant operators had not been training by the time the inspection was being done.
The report also indicates the company is not a franchise holder in Kenya for caterpillar equipment and has referred the county government to the official dealers, Mantrack Kenya, for spare parts.
Mantrack tendered to the supply the graders but did not qualify.
The arrangement is that each of the three sub-counties in Laikipia should get a grader as the county government moves to improve its road network.
Mr Njenga said payments will not be made before the report is finalized and the graders inspected and approved by relevant authorities.
The county will spend Sh102 million on the three graders.
