Former Knec boss Paul Wasanga denies bribe claim

Former exams council boss Paul Wasanga on Wednesday denied receiving a bribe of Sh675,000 to influence the award of a tender to print certificates to UK firm Smith & Ouzman.

Mr Wasanga, who left the council this year, said he had seen the reports about the bribe for the first time in the media.

He said he was not a member of Kenya National Examination Council’s tendering committee to influence the award.

HIGHLY UNLIKELY

“By the time I travelled to the UK in July 2010, the tender had been awarded to Smith & Ouzman in March. There was no reason or motivation to give anyone the £5,000,” Mr Wasanga said.

He said Smith & Ouzman was awarded the contract to print the certificates in the 1980s, before he became the chief executive of the council.

“It is highly unlikely in that case that they needed the contract to go in their favour,” Mr Wasanga said.

He continued: “What should go on record is that the firm was awarded the contracts because they bid the lowest quotes and this saved Knec money.”

He said the council paid for his travel and living expenses while in the UK.

Mr Wasanga noted that when he became the head of the exams council in 2006, the board members travelled to the UK to assess all printing firms that were contracted by Knec to check their capacity to do the job.

The delegation was led by a former Education Permanent Secretary.

“After that visit, the council was given strict instructions to ensure that the services were procured competitively and only from the prequalified security printers,” he said.

He noted that the budget of printing the certificates did not hit the Sh200 million quoted in the charge sheet.