Ugandan firm appeals cancellation of vehicle number plates tender
Public service vehicle operators search for their vehicles’ number plates after a police inspection. Kenya plans to roll out new-generation number plates. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
MIG International has asked the court to quash a decision by the public procurement appeals tribunal to cancel its award of the lucrative deal.
The firm holds that it was denied crucial documents during the appeal before the tribunal and was not given reasonable notice of the proceedings.
The tribunal, however, annulled the tender following an appeal by Tropical Technologies, a failed bidder, and the government’s current supplier of the number plates.
A Ugandan firm has challenged in court the revocation of its award of a Sh2 billion tender for the supply of hot stamping foils to be used in the production of the anticipated computerised vehicle number plates.
MIG International has asked the court to quash a decision by the public procurement appeals tribunal to cancel its award of the lucrative deal.
The firm holds that it was denied crucial documents during the appeal before the tribunal and was not given reasonable notice of the proceedings.
The firm was awarded the deal alongside Germany’s Hoffman International. The Public Procurement Administrative and Review Board (PPARB), however, annulled the tender following an appeal by Tropical Technologies, a failed bidder, and the government’s current supplier of the number plates.
“The PPARB’s conduct both before the hearing of the review and after rendering its ruling was nothing near impartial. Our advocates’ efforts to access the entire pleadings filed by Tropical Technologies were met with denial from officers of the PPARB,” MIG International says.
The PPARB ordered the Kenya Prisons Service to carry out the tendering process afresh.
MIG has sued the PPARB, Attorney General Githu Muigai and Tropical Technologies. The Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination and Hoffman International have been enjoined in the suit as interested parties.
Tropical Technologies in its appeal claimed that MIG was only able to supply stamping foils for 120mm x 305mm number plates yet the tender also required equipment for 220mm x 306mm plates.
MIG now says no evidence of the allegation was furnished, and that it is able to supply both foil types.
The new generation number plates were supposed to be rolled out in September as part of a plan by the government to crack down on carjackers and quickly identify vehicles used in the commission of crime.
Through the computerised number plates, police will trace information on particular vehicles and their owners.
The Ministry of Interior had advertised two tenders under the scheme – one for supply of hot stamping foils and another for supply of number plate blanks. It was, however, only successful in the hot stamping foil deal.
“It is interesting to note that the reason given for failure to qualify for the supply of number plate blanks was that MIG International gave no proof of a testing certificate and ISO compliance certificate, but in the tender for supply of hot stamping plates the said documents were found to be in our bundle of documents,” MIG argues.
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