The government has revealed that some contractors submitted fraudulent documents while bidding for Affordable Housing Programme projects, raising fresh questions over how tenders were awarded.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Principal Secretary for Housing Charles Hinga on Friday, August 28, told lawmakers that the State Department of Housing encountered instances in which contractors allegedly presented fake documents during the tendering process.

Hinga said some of the cases had been referred to investigative agencies for further action, even as the government moves to tighten its procurement systems.

The revelation came as the Committee on Housing and Urban Planning questioned the State Department and the Affordable Housing Board over delays in several affordable housing projects across the country.

📌 What You Need to Know

Hinga disclosed that some contractors who won tenders lacked the financial or technical capacity to mobilise resources and begin construction, contributing to delays in project implementation.

He said the scale of the Affordable Housing Programme had exposed gaps in local contractors' capacity and weaknesses in the country's procurement systems.

“What we are looking at is something that is unprecedented in the market,” Hinga told the Committee.

He also identified procurement challenges as another factor affecting project implementation, particularly during the transition to the electronic government procurement system.

According to Hinga, the State Department had engaged the National Treasury to address challenges with the electronic procurement system that had affected the evaluation and awarding of tenders.

During the meeting, the Committee, chaired by Kuresoi South MP Joseph Tonui, demanded detailed information on stalled projects, including the challenges affecting each project and the corrective measures being taken to revive them.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke