Sharp rift emerges over IEBC’s Kiems tender

A sharp division emerged among commissioners of the electoral commission on March 31, 2017, during a plenary meeting on a decision to use direct tender method for purchase of KIEMs kit for the August 8 General Election.

Minutes of the plenary meeting tabled yesterday before the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee indicate that three of seven commissioners opposed award of the contract to OT-Morpho through direct procurement, while four were in support.

EVALUATION

Commissioners who opposed the decision by the secretariat to award the Sh6.6 billion contract for supply of 45,000 KIEMs kit included Prof Abdi Guliye, Mr Boya Mulu and Dr Paul Kurgat.

The three, in their objection, indicated there would be no value for taxpayers’ money in the contract. They said they were not satisfied with the evaluation report conducted by the secretariat and the settlement on OT-Morpho.

SECRETARIAT

The three commissioners also said that M/S Safran did not have the technical capacity to deliver on the contract, especially on results transmission, and that there was lack of a market survey.

Commission chairperson Wafula Chebukati, vice-chairperson Consolata Maina, Dr Roslyn Akombe and Ms Margaret Mwachanya allowed the secretariat to go ahead with procurement of the KIEMS kits but in accordance with the law.

EXPENDITURE

The electoral commission spent Sh4,196,300,000 for the 45,000 KIEMS kits used in the August 8 poll, and another Sh2.5 billion for the repeat election on October 26.

“There were concerns on value for money. It was observed that a lot of expenditure on items that could be obtained at a lesser cost, such as training components and technical support, was overpriced,” reads part of the plenary minutes.

REPUTATION

According to the minutes, there was concern that Safran was a technology group whose core business was aerospace. It was feared that the company might be unable to offer quality results transmission solutions as it was going to rely on Scytl, a company whose reputation was questioned.

The plenary minutes contradict earlier information given by acting IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein that former CEO Ezra Chiloba single-handedly procured the KIEMS kits without the commission's approval.

BIDDING

On Tuesday, Mr Hussein told the same committee that Mr Chiloba single-handedly handed the tender to OT-Morpho without competitive bidding.

There was a standoff at the beginning of the meeting when Mr Chebukati objected to provision of the minutes to the committee, saying some of the discussions were private and did not relate to the audit query. However, committee chairman Opiyo Wandayi ruled that they would have direct access to all the minutes in their original form.