KeNHA restructures staff amid corruption claims

Kenya National Highways Authority director general Peter Mundinia. The agency has instituted changes in its management amid mounting corruption claims in awarding tenders for construction of roads. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The Roads Civil Engineering and Construction Association has petitioned the government to probe alleged bribery in awarding of tenders to local contractors.

  • They claimed some unscrupulous KeNHA executives were awarding tenders to lowest bidders after receiving hefty bribes.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has instituted changes in its management amid mounting corruption claims in awarding tenders for construction of roads.

The authority has restructured its staff across the country in what the Director-General Peter Mundinia said was aimed at strengthening the policy, strategy and compliance and implementing the Big Four Agenda.

“The changes will ensure that issues of quality assurance are effectively implemented to mitigate on the authority’s risk exposure,” said the notice by Eng Mundinia.

The changes have affected director, deputies and assistants in the Road Asset and Corridor Management and those transferred are required to report to their new stations by January 21, 2019.

The Director for Road Asset and Corridor Management James Njuguna Gatitu has been moved to Policy Strategy and Compliance while Deputy Director (Roads) Mutii Kivoto has been deployed to head Road Asset and Corridor Management Directorate.

Other changes are in the supply chain management, finance and accounting and human resource management.

The Roads Civil Engineering and Construction Association has petitioned the government to probe alleged bribery in awarding of tenders to local contractors.

They claimed some unscrupulous KeNHA executives were awarding tenders to lowest bidders after receiving hefty bribes.

They blamed corrupt networks at KeNHA for construction of substandard roads leading to loss of millions of taxpayers money.

Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago recently took issue with the national government for awarding Chinese companies tenders for big projects.

“We need to strengthen our economy by allocating 40 per cent of government tenders to our youth. Giving Chinese tenders every time leaves our economy in bad state because they take money back to their countries,” said Mr Mandago.

He challenged parliamentarians to amend procurement laws to enable local contractors to secure tenders from the government.