Under threat of job termination, Laikipia County officials must approve Phantom Tenders through a force from above.
A whistleblower in Laikipia County has exposed a pervasive culture of corruption and coercion among officials tasked with approving public tenders.
The insider, who spoke anonymously out of fear of retaliation, claims that the threat of job loss or unwanted transfers compels officers in various departments to approve tenders for projects that don’t exist.
According to Kenya’s top blogger, Cyprian Nyakundi, Laikipia is one of the most corrupt counties.
The Laikipia County Government forces its officers to sign and approve nonexistent tenders.
Unsigned employees risk losing their jobs, especially contract workers. If you are PnP, your boss may transfer you to a remote area.
A tender must undergo a process in order to receive approval. For instance, in the case of an agriculture tender for tree supply, the department selects officers for two committees to evaluate and approve the tender.
If officers refuse to sign, the process may fail. However, with such a corrupt government, how can it fail?
As an officer, you discover that a tender committee for tree supply has added you to its membership. You attended the meeting on February 15, 2024, and now, in July 2024, you are witnessing it for the first time.
“You wonder how. There has never been a summons to such a meeting. Not even the meeting’s chairman knew about it until he received a signature request,” sources reveal.
“The tender will include a chairman and officers who are not familiar with the meeting or the tender itself.” When the officers only become aware of the tender when they receive instructions to sign it. As officers, we have no option but to laugh and shake our heads in disbelief.
“Since there are no committee members, it is our duty as officers to approve tenders. This is merely a means for them to obtain financial benefits,” sources added.
At the end of the day, the officers who sign these documents end up in trouble with the auditors. Ultimately, these officers face court arraignments or jail time.
“This is how Governor Joshua Irungu robs the Laikipians of money.” I’d like to share some of the tenders here, but they’ll understand. The law has unlawfully compelled me to sign some of them,” the sources conclude.
