It is not yet clear when the distribution of laptop computers to schools after the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology said it was yet to receive a diligence report from the Ministry of Education in order to advice the government on the project.
The committee is currently looking into the project which has been marred by claims of impropriety in the tendering process after the winning bid was not an original equipment manufacturer.
Sabina Chege, who is the chairperson for the Education, Science and Technology Committee on Education, said that they have heard from the ministry officials that the Olive Telecommunications won the tender competitively but was yet to receive the due diligence report from them in order to scrutinize the procurement process.
“The ministry has not given us a copy of the due diligence report so that we can advice the government. We do not want the laptop project to fail,” said Chege.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education Jacob Kaimenyi, had defended the company that won the tender saying that the process was conducted transparently as per the public procurement procedures. Two firms that lost the tender have appealed to the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board over the matter and it is estimated that the matter might take over a month to resolve yet the company that won the tender has already been given the go ahead.
According Kaimenyi the project, which costs Sh. 24.6 billion, will not be halted since the tender was given procedurally.
Source: News24
