Indian firm 'had no ability' to deliver on laptop scheme
PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | FILE Diana Wanjiku of Thunguma primary school in Nyeri uses a laptop on June 13, 2013. Indian firm Olive Telecommunications Pvt Limited had no financial ability to deliver on the government's Sh24.6 billion school laptops scheme at the time it got the tender award.
Indian firm Olive Telecommunications Pvt Limited had no financial ability to deliver on the government's Sh24.6 billion school laptops scheme at the time it got the tender award, the procurement review board has ruled.
The company got the deal to supply the laptops last month, with Education Minister Jacob Kaimenyi saying the firm had quoted the “lowest and most advantageous amount”
He said the tender award had saved the taxpayers Sh8 billion.
A parliamentary committee, however, accused the minister of not scrutinising a due diligence report that has been filed regarding the company before awarding the contract.
The House team said the firm was unfit to supply the laptops, noting it was not a computer manufacturing company as required by tendering specifications.
It further said that Olive did not have a distribution network of its own and intended to supply the 1.2 million laptops in collaboration with a company that manufactures computers.
