KeRRA in a spot over Mandera road projects

Mandera North Residents Association has raised concerns over the Saqira-Olla, Jikow-Lanqura and Godfa-Gurdubo road projects. [File, Standard]

Residents of Mandera North Constituency have called for an independent investigation into three road maintenance projects, citing concerns over procurement, measurement, certification and payment of works.

The Mandera North Residents Association has written to the Director General of the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), demanding a comprehensive technical, procurement and financial investigation into the Saqira-Olla, Jikow-Lanqura and Godfa-Gurdubo road projects.

The association said its concerns follow an information request submitted by a Mandera North resident Abdinasir Bulle Mohamed, who sought access to government records relating to the procurement and implementation of the three projects.

In his request to KeRRA, Mohamed raised questions over procurement, implementation and payment of three road maintenance projects in Mandera North, seeking detailed records on how the contracts were awarded and executed.

Mohamed asked KeRRA to disclose information ranging from the number of companies that submitted bids and their quoted prices to the identities of successful contractors and the amount awarded.

“This request is made in the interest of transparency, accountability, prudent use of public resources and public participation in the management of public affairs, particularly because the projects concern public funds and roads serving residents of Mandera North,” Mohamed told KeRRA.

Other information he sought include copy of tender opening register for each tender, tender evaluation reports, notification and ward letters, contract agreements and beneficial ownership information submitted by the successful bidders.

The request sought to establish whether the contractors for the three projects were registered companies, youth or women-owned enterprises or persons with disabilities-owned enterprises.

Mohamed further asked KeRRA to provide details of the implementation of the projects, including the dates the contractors were issued commencement letters, when actual works started, contract periods, intended completion dates and any extensions granted.

In his inquiry letter that was sent to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the National Commission for Administrative Justice, Mohamed also requested KeRRA to explain how the lengths, widths, areas and quantities in the BOQs were determined and whether each of the three roads was assessed as requiring approximately 20 kilometers of maintenance.

Where the roads were not assessed at 20 kilometers, he sought the Authority to provide the actual measured lengths and changes to the sections covered by the respective contracts.

"If investigations establish that public funds were paid for works that were not undertaken, quantities that were not executed, services that were improperly certified or expenditure that was unsupported, then such conduct cannot be treated as an administrative mistake,” Mohamed said.

Further Mohamed requested for information on the approved contract sum for each project, amounts certified and actually paid, dates and amounts of payments made to contractors, and copies of interim payment, valuation and completion certificates.

KeRRA was also been asked to disclose whether any advance payments were made and provide details of outstanding payments, retention money and any additional payments or variations.

The association further raised concerns about the possibility of inflated quantities, unsupported measurements, irregular payments or improper certification. It emphasized, however, that these matters require investigation before any conclusions can be reached.

The residents’ association have also called for the Regional Resident Engineer and Accountant responsible for the projects to step aside pending investigations.

“Given the seriousness of the allegations and the central role that the Resident Engineer and Accountant may have played in the supervision, measurement, certification, processing and payment of the works, we further demand that the responsible Resident Engineer and Accountant immediately step aside from their jobs to pave way for investigations,” the association said in the letter.

“If investigations establish that any officer knowingly facilitated, aided, abetted, authorized, certified or participated in the unlawful loss or misuse of public funds, such an officer should bear personal responsibility for his or her actions and face the appropriate administrative, civil and criminal consequences provided for under Kenyan law,” it reads further.

The authority has also been asked to explain the technical basis for Heavy Grading without Watering or Compaction, as well as the quantities provided for gravel patching on each road.

In their inquiry letter, the residents want records of any variation orders, revised quantities, additional works or changes made to the original BOQs since the projects commenced.

In the inquiry, the residents also sought information on the involvement of local residents in the bush-clearing component, seeking to know the number of local people engaged, the sections where they worked, dates of engagement, applicable rates and amounts paid.