The government of Kenya has terminated the contract for the construction of the Sh 1billion Liwatoni Fisheries Complex in Mombasa County.
The project is one of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s key legacy projects for the Coast region which was aimed at exploitation of the vast wealth of the blue economy. It involved upgrading it to a full fishing port with cold storage rooms, value addition and export facilities.
Dr Francis Owino, the Principal Secretary in charge of Fisheries and the Blue Economy confirmed the termination and said it was due to violation of the conditions of the contract by Daniel’s Outlets Ltd, the firm that was awarded the project contract. Two government workers also fought on the site, exacerbating an already tense situation.
Corruption and fraudulent practices
Dr. Owino accused the contractor of corruption and fraudulent practices and ordered the firm to immediately leave the site. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has also launched investigations into allegations of procurement irregularities in the tender leading to the award of the contract.
The commission waded into the matter after two senior officials at the State department of Public Works were involved in a physical confrontation as they fought over control of the project.
“EACC has, pursuant to its constitutional and statutory mandate, commenced investigations into allegations of procurement irregularities in the tender leading to the award of the contract. We advise that any payments related to the contract herein be suspended pending investigations,” Mr Mbarak said in the letter to the PS, which was also copied to Interior CS Fred Matiang’i in his capacity as the chairman of National Development Implementation Committee.
