City Hall on EACC radar over Sh300 million street lighting deal

Nairobi City County is on the spot over Sh300 million irregular procurement of goods for the supply and delivery of electrical materials of street lighting.

The revelations are captured in a second quarterly report covering the period between April 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 by the Ethics and Anti-corruption (EACC).

The report states that this was done through issuance of Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) to eight companies amounting to Sh300,844,035 in the Financial Year 2022/2023.

Upon investigation the anti-graft agency said that the letter of notification of intention to enter into a contract was drafted on February 6, 2023 and LPO's signed on the same day.

"This was a clear violation of the 14 day's waiting period which must lapse following the notification award before the contracts are signed," the report states.

"It was also established that the LPO's were signed and issued out to the suppliers without a preceding acceptance of the awards in violation of public procurement laws."

In its probe, EACC found out that the LPOs were signed without the accounting officer having approved the recommendation set for the professional opinion.

After the conclusion of the investigations, EACC compiled a report that was forwarded to the Office of Public Prosecutions in June 2024.

The investigators recommended prosecutions of the Chief Officer for Works and Mobility, head of procurement, procurement officer, tender evaluation committee and tender opening committee among others.

The commission noted that the culprits are liable to several offences including conspiracy to commit corruption, neglect of duty, uttering false documents, forgery and financial misconduct.

At the same time EACC recommended the cancellation of signed contracts and disciplinary action against Nairobi county members of the tenders’ evaluation committee.

The reports emerge amid complaints by residents of poorly lit estates and streets which has led to spike in mugging cases.

This has also been witnessed at the city centre where some streets have remained dark for ages due faulty street lights.

Recently, Nairobi MCAs claimed that they are forced to bribe county electricians to fix faulty security lights and mast heads in their wards.

The ward reps made the revelations while debating a proposal that seeks to encourage community involvement in the maintenance and expansion of the street lighting programme.

They said that lack of security lights in some parts of the city was to blame for insecurity and early closure of businesses.