Tourism ministry on the spot for Sh569m publicity contract

The Tourism ministry is on the spot for awarding a Sh569 million contract to a foreign firm through restricted tendering to market Kenya abroad in the aftermath of the Mpeketoni and Garissa University terrorist attacks.

The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) put Tourism PS Joseph Kudo to task over the tender for the provision of communication consultancy services, which was never advertised through an open platform

The ministry awarded a one-year contract to Graylin Communications Ltd to market the country as a tourist destination in major cities of the world between April 2015 and April 2016.

Neither Mr Kudo nor his chief finance officer Margaret Byama could explain the rationale of awarding the multibillion tender to the foreign firm through restricted tendering.

“The firm was selected through restricted tendering. I am not in a position to answer why restricted tendering was used,” said Ms Byama.

She cited section 73 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 that allows the use of restricted tendering but could not explain whether the firm was among the ministry’s pre-qualified bidders.

Mr Kudo and Ms Byama faced tough questions on the engagement of foreign firms or individuals with less than 14,000 followers on the Internet or social media platforms to sell the country abroad when there are Kenyans with millions of followers who could be engaged as tourism influencers.

Opiyo Wandayi, who chairs the PAC, directed the PS and Ms Byama to file a comprehensive report on the procurement by tomorrow 11am. Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu demanded a written confirmation on whether Graylin Communications was in the list of companies listed in the ministry’s quotations.

Mr Kudo informed MPs, who scrutinised the report of Auditor General Edward Ouko on the financial statements of the ministry, that Sh142,291,765 was paid to Graylin Communications for quarterly communication consultancy services.

The PS said Graylin Communications was offered the consultancy and was paid during the time tourism sector had slowed down due to terror attacks between 2014-15.

Mr Kudo said his predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed signed the agreement entered between the ministry and the Graylin Communications on March 31, 2015, at a contract sum of Sh569.1 million.