Contractors Demand Lion’s Share of State Tenders

Kenyan contractors have urged the National Construction Authority (NCA) to introduce an affirmative rule that will see them get a ‘significant’ share of Government tenders awarded to foreign companies.

The contractors claim they have been locked out of lucrative contracts with foreign companies – especially Chinese – being awarded government jobs.

“The NCA should formulate a rule that will ensure local contractors get at least 30 per cent of tenders involving international companies,” said Dominic Ooko, a Nairobi-based contractor.

Mr Ooko’s sentiments are in line with those of Jonathan Mutai who says the NCA Act should draft specifications to ensure local contractors have a share in the international tenders.

In recent years, Chinese companies have reportedly scooped more than 75 per cent of the lucrative public jobs – to the chagrin of local contractors who claim Kenya is favouring foreign firms.

The local contractors are blaming the Government for raising the demands on firms during the tendering process, for instance, requiring experience on big projects – which most local contractors lack due to many years of underinvestment in the sector.

RELATED: Chinese Firms Beat Kenyan Ones on Projects

However, the workmanship of Chinese firms has consistently received much accolades from both ordinary citizens and government officials.

“Chinese firms’ dedication to their work, coupled with skilled workmanship, and the timeous execution of the projects, has won the respect and admiration of many Kenyans,” said Peter Ngari a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

On the other hand, local companies have received negative reviews from the public mainly due to poor workmanship that has seen rising incidents of collapse of buildings, bridges, and incomplete projects.

Just last month, a five-story building that was under construction crumbled down in Kisumu killing seven people and injuring ten others.

To weed out quacks in the construction industry, NCA has embarked on an exercise to register and licence contractors afresh.

The exercise will be completed on June 30 and anyone found undertaking construction works without a valid registration certificate will pay a fine of Sh1 million, a three-year jail term or both.

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