Roko wins bid to build IGG tower amid corruption claims

The deal to construct the multibillion tower for offices of the Inspector General of Government (IGG) has been handed to the Joint Venture of Roko Construction Limited and Roko Construction (Rwanda) Ltd despite persistent corruption claims in the procurement process.

This newspaper has seen copies of documents issued by the IGG’s Procurement and Disposal Unit (PDU) indicating that Roko was the best evaluated bidder for the joint venture.

The IGG spokesperson, Ms Munira Ali, confirmed the evaluation process was completed and the winner displayed in accordance with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) provisions.
“We displayed. The best evaluated bidder notice runs from December 18 to January 3, 2019. That is 10 working days in line with the PPDA law,” Ms Munira said on Sunday.

However, the decision by the bids evaluation committee and the PDU to award the contract to Roko Construction has triggered controversy from the losing bidders especially after the first procurement process was cancelled by PPDA having found that the evaluation had favoured the same company.

The PPDA appeals tribunal had earlier cancelled the procurement and ordered fresh bids after one of the bidders, the JV of Seyani Brothers and Co. (U) Ltd and Parbat Siyani Construction Ltd challenged the decision by the IGG’s PDU to award Roko Construction Limited and Roko Construction (Rwanda) despite having failed to meet the requirements specified in the bid documents.

The PPDA found that Roko Construction had not built two 15-storey buildings each worth at least Shs90b in the previous five years as had been required in the bid invitation documents. The joint venture also did not have the Shs20b minimum cash on its bank account to prove its financial soundness as per the specified conditions for the bids.

However, two weeks ago, this newspaper published a story in which a whistleblower claiming to be an insider had petitioned PPDA that the specified bid conditions had been removed or changed in order to “favour” Roko Construction.

Ms Munira explained then that the law does not stop the procuring entity from changing the requirements.

The whistleblower also claimed the Permanent Secretary to the IGG, Ms Rose Kafeero, had instructed the evaluation committee to disqualify all firms that quoted low amounts of money and ensure Roko Construction was given the contract. But Ms Kafeero dismissed the claims and challenged the whistleblowers to prove she ordered the contract to be awarded to Roko.

An official from one of the bidders who lost out in the latest bidding, told Daily Monitor on condition of anonymity to avoid victimisation, that the fears raised by the whistleblower have come to pass because Roko Construction “is getting the job and the other lowest bidders were disqualified.”

Bid outcome
The PDU displayed Roko Construction Limited and Roko Construction (Rwanda) as the lowest evaluated bidder with a quotation of Shs69.9 billion followed by Seyani Brothers and Co. (U) Ltd and Parbat Siyani Construction Ltd as joint second lowest bidders with Shs75.4 billion. The CRJE (East Africa Ltd) came third with Shs79.2 billion.

Other bidders were; China National Aero-technology International Engineering Corporation; China Wu Yi Co. Ltd; China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation; and, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd, were disqualified for different reasons.

Our investigations revealed that two of the disqualified bids- China State Construction Engineering Corporation had quoted the lowest at Shs63 billion followed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation with Shs67 billion at the time the bids were publicly opened.

Meanwhile, our investigations have also revealed that some of the losing companies have already applied for administrative review from PPDA. They want PPDA to find that the IGG’s evaluation committee flouted the sections of the PPDA Act to award the contract to Roko.

Another source, also said, they were considering to petition the Anti-Corruption Unit in State House which President Museveni launched two weeks ago to investigate the IGG for alleged corruption in this procurement. “We think that it’s high time the Anti-corruption Unit headed by (Lt Col) Edith Nakalema started with this big matter because people in IGG office think they are untouchable,” the source said.

Ms Munira said the IGG office would welcome any investigation because all the processes taken to procure the construction of headquarters were transparent.
“PPDA as the appropriate authority will also take its action in accordance with its mandate. We will wait for the report,” Ms Munira said.