Indian firm Olive moves to court over cancelled laptops deal

Indian firm Olive Telecommunications has moved to court challenging the tender review board’s decision to cancel the Sh24.6 billion school laptops contract award.

The company had earlier indicated that they would appeal the decision by the public procurement review board to terminate the contract awarded to them to supply laptops.

In its ruling, the review board said the Indian firm did not have the financial ability to deliver on the contract by the time the tender was awarded to them.

The review board also found that the Education ministry had awarded the tender at Sh1.4 billion more than the price quoted by the winning bidder before negotiations with the ministry.

The bidders who lost, Hewlett Packard Europe and Haier Electrical Appliances, had quoted Sh24 billion and Sh25 billion respectively.

The board ordered the Ministry of Education to review the tender after an appeal by the two bidders. The process has to be conducted within 45 days.

Olive Telecommunication’s appeal is likely to jeopardise Jubilee government plans to fulfil President Uhuru Kenyatta’s most ambitious campaign promise as the case drags on in court.