NAIROBI: The controversy over the Integrated Management Customs System (ICMS) tender by the Kenya Revenue Authority continues after KRA officials claimed they were not in charge of the tendering process.
Appearing before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB) they said Trade Mark East Africa; the lead procuring entity of the Sh1.2 billion was fully in charge of the process despite six of the KRA officers being involved in the whole evaluation process that saw WebbFontaine Group contest award to Bull SAS Company.
In a seven-point demand order, PPARB board directed that Bull SAS be served with application papers and a list of all tender documents and list of all bidders ahead of tomorrow’s ruling.
“Under the provisions of regulation 74(3) of the Public Procurement and Disposal Regulations 2006, the first and second respondent (KRA and TMEA respectively), shall supply the board with all the tender documents for all bidders who participated in the tender process,” said the board.
In their application which the board invalidated, lawyers representing KRA officials Wangui Mwaniki and Carol Mburuguru told the board KRA has no tender documents and that PPARB has no jurisdiction to entertain the petition.
However, in their submissions, WebbFontaine through lawyer Paul Muite said preliminary objections by KRA, who are first respondent and TMEA second respondent, that the board lacks jurisdiction to entertain the request for review is “flawed”.