Rival security firms hit back over Judiciary deal

Two firms awarded a tender to provide security services for the Judiciary want the High Court to throw out a suit challenging their contract.

Riley Services Limited had filed an application at the High Court seeking to have the award of the contract to rival firms quashed and a judicial review conducted on the whole tendering process.

READ: Rival security firms locked in Judiciary tender dispute

The Judiciary advertised for the tender in October and later awarded the nationwide contract to Lavington Security Limited and Bedrock Security Services Limited.

Riley Services claims that the Judiciary unfairly disqualified it from the tendering process despite meeting all the requirements and that they failed to comply with orders issued by the review board not to enter into contracts with rival companies until the appeal was determined.

The two firms are listed as interested parties in a suit against the Chief Registrar, in which Riley Services Limited is also seeking orders to stop the Judiciary from evicting them from their premises.

In their preliminary objections, Lavington Security Limited and Bedrock Security Services Limited claim that the High Court has no jurisdiction to entertain the judicial review process or grant any orders that the rival security firm is seeking.

Their lawyer Stephen Bundotich told Justice Mumbi Ngugi that the applicant’s request for review of the tendering process at the Public Procurement and Administrative Review Board was yet to be determined and as such their application of a judicial review was premature.