Joseph ole Lenku slapped with orders in security deal

A firm staking a claim to the multi-billion shillings contract for installation of security surveillance systems has served top government officials with a court order, stopping them from awarding the deal to another party.

Tetra Radio Ltd served Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku, Interior Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo, Communication Authority of Kenya director-general Francis Wangusi and Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore.

The orders were issued by Mr Justice George Dulu in 2008 and reiterated by Lady Justice Jeanne Gacheche in 2011.

The company argues that the decision to award the Sh14 billion contract for installation of security surveillance cameras in Nairobi and Mombasa to Safaricom Ltd was illegal.

Tetra’s managing director Jacquiline Mwai said they would file contempt proceedings if they don’t receive assurance that the government shall not effect the deal signed with Safaricom.

“According to the court order, the tender to provide security surveillance was conserved and reserved for the company. The order is still in force and has not been challenged, reviewed or set aside,” Ms Mwai said.

The government last month contracted Safaricom to install the sophisticated security communications system that would enable police to pick out a suspected terrorist from a crowded street and track his or her every move from miles away.

The system was envisaged to link all security agencies through spy cameras attached to computers, which would analyse faces and other data to help identify and track suspects. It was scheduled to be implemented first in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Before the project could take off, Parliament stopped it on grounds that it was single-sourced and a violation of the public procurement rules.

The National Assembly departmental committee on administration and national security raised concerns over Safaricom’s technical capacity to roll out the highly sophisticated security contract, which involved deploying a countrywide 4G network and supplying walkie-talkies to the police.

INVESTIGATIONS

The MPs urged the government not to sign the tender pending their investigations, whose findings are yet to be tabled in the House.

Tetra Radio Limited has added its voice to the controversy, with their claim of ownership of the frequencies that will allow security personnel to communicate.

According to the company, CAK accepted and confirmed their bid in 2002 after which they started training senior police officers on how to use the gadgets.