The first prosecution witness in the Arorr and Kimwarer dams case has told the court that the company that won the tenders had not bid for it.
Charity Mui, told Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi that the award of the tenders did not follow the due process since CMC di Ravenna-Itinera Joint Ventures won the tenders while they hadn’t submitted bids.
Mui was the secretary to the Kerio Valley Development Association (KVDA) ad-hoc committee responsible for evaluating tender documents.
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The Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal was a conspiracy scheme allegedly orchestrated by officials in the National Treasury Ministry to defraud the government of more than Ksh. 56 billion.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji, has lined up 32 people to answer corruption charges, with former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and former KVDA Managing Director David Kimosop on the list.
The number has since reduced to 15, with some of them shifting to become prosecution witnesses, among them former treasury principal secretary Kamau Thuge and former East Africa Community PS Susan Jemutai Koech.
The twin projects have been marred by repeated accusations of corruption deals amongst the political elites.
President William Ruto, the deputy president, claimed in public rallies that no money was lost in the projects, maintaining that only Ksh. 7 billion was used, and that amount could be accounted for.
Read: No Subsidy For Unga, Ruto Tells Kenyans
Earlier reports showed displaced residents have never been compensated, despite Ksh. 6 billion being set aside.
A technical team formed by President Uhuru Kenyatta found that the Ksh. 22.2 Kimwarer Dam was not feasible, leading to its cancellation. However, Ksh. 28.8 billion was given the green light.
