Rift Valley Connect consortium (RVC) can now proceed with the construction of a multi-million dollar road project in Kenya after a tribunal dismissed a petition challenging the tender.
A consortium of Egis Projects S.A (France), Mota-Engil-Engenharia E Construcao Africa, S A (Portugal), Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers Seed Partnership (South Africa), and Orascom Construction Ltd (Egypt) wanted the tender nullified saying it was not satisfied on how Kenya road agency(KeNHA) decided to award the tender to the lowest bidder.
The consortium had bid Sh194,975,130,000 for the tender while the winning firm had quoted 159,499,760,000 making a difference of Sh35,475,370,000. KeNHA then decided to award the tender to the lowest bidder.
The project will involve construction of a road spanning Nairobi-Nakuru and Mau Summit at a cost of US$16 million.
KeHNA says that the road project will make the corridor very vibrant, travel time reduced, operational costs reduced and connectivity between Nairobi and Nakuru enhanced.
It will feature a dual carriageway of four lanes to be increased to six with increased traffic and an elevated road (Nakuru Expressway) being proposed in Nakuru town.
The tribunal’s decision now paves way for Kenha to initiate negations with the winners-Rift Valley Connect consortium, now referred to as preferred consortium, and if the two agree, then they will refer their document to Treasury Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Committee for onward transmission to cabinet.
“We hope that by end of this year, we will have moved to the ground,” Mundinia told local media The Standard.