Dear Mr Waithaka: Many thanks for your mail. We are keenly watching the unfolding scam in the making. For now there is need to separate the belated matters of value-addition with legal interventions. What you seem to be championing is more of the (deliberately) missed sound public policy issue(s) - which the ICTA and Konza Board, for instance, would have ably advised both ICT and Education Secretaries to consider as specs before putting out the laptops tender. Basic question, for instance, is who exactly generated the tender ToR's and from what basis? On the policy issues, of whether or not a local assembly (like Nyayo Pioneer Car test case) would have worked on the laptops - we are planning a public forum next month. We will invite listers. On the legal side, there are obviously a myriad procurement lapses and related issues; the carelessly negotiated kickbacks (>Sh1.4bn final offer price variations) etc. The legal can be addressed at Procurement Appeals Tribunal (our view is that sulking HP/Haier have a very weak case against Olive Telecoms given the many ambiguities in the tender document) and/or at the quality of delivery and products themselves. Both levels require solid evidence and not imaginations/hearsays. Someone must, for instance, demonstrate that both facts and spirit of the law were breached. With fever-pitch high level political interest clouding the procurement, it will take a while before some facts come out. Anyone with information with evidence and/or useful information (not policy issues) can share with us in confidence (even anonymously) at: hotline@cofek.co.ke Kind regards, Japheth Ogutu Program Officer Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) Meky Place, Block F-45 Ngong Road/Ring Rd Kilimani Junction P.O Box 28053-00200, City Square, NAIROBI, Kenya Tel. 254-20-2615496, 2300859 Fax. 254-20-3861719; Cell phones: 0715555550, 0770700007 E-mail: hotline@cofek.co.ke Website: www.cofek.co.ke <http://www.cofek.co.ke/> Facebook: "Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek)" Twitter: @ConsumersKenya YouTube: "ConsumersKenya" 13th December 2012 - President Kibaki assents to the Consumer Protection Act, 2012 Read it here: <http://www.cofek.co.ke/Consumers%20Protection%20Act%202012.pdf> http://www.cofek.co.ke/Consumers%20Protection%20Act%202012.pdf From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+hotline=cofek.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Ngigi Waithaka Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 7:10 PM To: The Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: [***SPAM*** Score/Req: 05.20/5.0] Re: [kictanet] HP says laptop bid price changed to favour rival Olive Sometimes it beats me why such simple logic escapes all the Professors, Drs, Masters, BSC's we have in that Ministry, and worse, the silence from KICTAuthority is deafening... Is Omtatah / COFEK anywhere in these forums? We should file a case in the courts and say that we are not getting value for money and that those who are responsible for giving the GoK sound advice have been compromised and have abdicated their duties... On Tue, Feb 18, 2014 at 6:45 PM, Kivuva <Kivuva@transworldafrica.com> wrote: This has been debated before. We all know the best way to go is setting a local manufacturing plant. And this is what KICTANET and the taxpayers should be advocating for. Each year, the taxpayer will be forking $268,899, 669 for standard 1 pupils. That is not sustainable. In 10 years, $2.7 trillion will have been spent on cheap plastics that we can develop locally and empower our youth, and keep local dollar local. The government should get more sensible on this. ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya. twitter.com/lordmwesh google ID | Skype ID: lordmwesh On 18 February 2014 07:00, Adam Nelson <adam@varud.com> wrote: We're ignoring the elephant in the room. Both vendor's laptops are going to be garbage. With that kind of budget, tablets are the only way to go. Anyway, tablets are so much more sensible from a pedagogical point of view as well as a battery life (10 hours vs 1) and durability standpoint (you can drop a tablet on a cement floor from 2 feet and the screen might crack but it can be taped up and works fine). Even Apple iPads are only $300 retail nowadays and surely the government could get them for $200 or even $150 since Apple's CSR team would be all over themselves to make the sale. No ICT support would be required and everything would 'just work' as long as the theft and breakage rate is kept reasonable. If anybody in the government could do anything innovative with this thing, it would catapult their career to the national and international stage. -- Kili - Cloud for Africa: <http://kili.io/> kili.io Musings: <https://twitter.com/varud> twitter.com/varud More Musings: varud.com About Adam: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcnelson> www.linkedin.com/in/adamcnelson On Tue, Feb 18, 2014 at 5:36 PM, Ngigi Waithaka <ngigi@at.co.ke> wrote: If this line is true, "...The technology firm further says it was invited through a letter dated December 6, but which was delivered on the morning of negotiations, allowing them no time to prepare...." Then you know HP is being played for sucker, and I think they are.... The only option on the table, prepare themselves for a Judicial Review (Takes about a year to conclude), PPARB decisions IMO are not based on substance, and if they are, its of a different kind! Waithaka Ngigi On Tue, Feb 18, 2014 at 5:21 PM, S.M. Muraya <murigi.muraya@gmail.com> wrote: What did Olive Telcom offer in terms of local assembly/support, maintenance and connectivity? http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/HP-says-tender-team-rigged-pricing-of-lap tops-for-rival/-/539546/2210772/-/view/printVersion/-/4t0eatz/-/index.html HP says laptop bid price changed to favour rival Olive IN SUMMARY * HP says Olive Telecommunications had on December 13 quoted a price of Sh23.1 billion as its final offer. * Computer maker also claims Olive and Haier are associates that should not have been allowed to place separate bids. * The allegations add to the controversy that has stalked procurement of laptops for primary schools. Senior government officials colluded with executives of an Indian company to inflate prices for the controversial laptops tender by as much as Sh1.4 billion after the final bids were made, it has emerged. American computer maker Hewlett Packard (HP) says Olive Telecommunications - the Indian company that won the tender to supply the laptops - had on December 13 quoted a price of Sh23.1 billion ($268,899, 669) as its final offer. But Education secretary Jacob Kaimenyi later announced that Olive Telecommunications had won the tender to supply the laptops at a price of 24.5 billion ($284,814,957) without reference to the alterations. "It is clear from the foregoing that the procuring entity amended the total price quoted by the successful bidder and which was read out at the opening of BAFO (Best and Final Offer) and awarded it (Olive) the sum of $15,914,288 (Sh1.4 billion) more than it had actually quoted," says HP in documents filed Thursday before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB). HP also alleges that Olive and rival bidder Haier, which was among the three shortlisted bidders for the supply of 1.3 million laptops, are related companies that should never have been allowed to submit competing bids meant to lock out rivals. According to HP, the tender committee should have disqualified Olive and Haier Group's applications on grounds that the two companies are related and could not place separate bids. "To the procuring entity's knowledge the said two companies had previously entered into a joint venture to form Haier Telkom (India), a company that is still active," says HP. The allegations add to the controversy that has stalked procurement of laptops for primary schools. HP accuses the tender committee of colluding with Olive Communications to undermine rival bidders. The American firm claims that Ministry of Education officials allowed Olive to submit an incomplete price list that left room for price manipulation and enabled the Indian firm to overtake it [HP] as the lowest bidder. In an application filed through Nairobi law firm Iseme Kamau and Maema Advocates, HP says procurement of the laptops has been shrouded in secrecy that has irredeemably compromised the award. HP accuses the tender evaluation committee of disclosing the price quoted by the bidders and in effect allowing price comparison and undercutting - a claim that if proved will cast doubt on the entire process. The American company says it was the lowest bidder when the financial offers were opened on December 6, having offered to supply the 1.28 million laptops for Sh25 billion compared to Haier Electrical's Sh27.2 billion and Olive Communications' Sh27.2 billion. All prices were subject to further negotiations. HP claims that the tender committee used every opportunity to release confidential information in the bid documents to competing firms it says were sister companies used to undercut its offer. "Release of the said information created the very mischief sought to be prevented by Section 44 of the (Public Procurement and disposal) Act," HP says, adding that rival bidders used the unit prices to undercut the applicant. Meyrin Branch, who oversees HP's corporate accounts, says in an affidavit that only his company's application should have been subjected to further evaluation, including price negotiations, and that the tender committee should only have engaged rival bidders in the event that the talks collapsed. Instead, the tender committee invited all bidders to price negotiations on December 10 at Windsor Golf Club against HP's expectation. The technology firm further says it was invited through a letter dated December 6, but which was delivered on the morning of negotiations, allowing them no time to prepare. Each firm held separate negotiations with the tender committee during which they were asked to reveal their BAFO. "The mode of negotiation adopted made it very possible for information of a particular bidder to be disclosed to others with the aim of sabotaging certain bidders," says HP. Ministry of Education officials are alleged to have failed to define the scope of negotiations to participating bidders and instead confronted them with questions at the meeting. The tender committee is also accused of refusing to supply HP with the minutes of the negotiations or even a summary of what transpired. The information was needed for purposes of filing the appeal. HP later learnt on December 13 that following the price negotiations, Olive had dislodged it from top position with an offer of Sh23.1 billion, a reduction of Sh4.1 billion from its initial offer of Sh27.2 billion. The American computer maker was then left in the second lowest bidder's position with a price of Sh24.8 billion while Haier was last with a final offer of Sh25 billion. "It was therefore surprising when on February 7, 2014... Prof Jacob Kaimenyi announced that Olive Telecommunication had been awarded the tender at Sh24.6 billion," says HP. HP also claims that the committee declined to consider its offer to provide value-added services to the tune of Sh4.4 billion free of charge. It says the tender committee should have disqualified Olive and Haier Group's application on grounds that the two companies are related and should not have placed separate bids. The details emerged even as the parliamentary committee investigating the laptops for schools tender called on the government to suspend signing of the contract. The MPs argued that Olive is a small company that partnered with another firm called CMC to tender for the laptop and that it is not an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The MPs' claims give credence to HP's argument that the committee breached one of the requirements that limited bidding to OEMs. The parliamentary committee has accused Prof Kaimenyi of awarding the tender even before the due diligence report on the winning company is scrutinised. MPs are expected to independently investigate the matter and produce a report. Ministry of Education officials are also accused of rejecting HP's bid for the supply of projectors on grounds that it is not an OEM for projectors even as it accepted Olive's bid for laptops. "Since the requirement that bidders must be OEMs was specifically set out in the tender documents, HP accepted the decision (to reject its bid for projectors) and reasonably expected that similar criteria would be used in respect of other bidders," HP says. The government in October re-advertised for the supply of laptops, printers and projectors to public schools in fulfilment of Jubilee alliance's campaign manifesto. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngigi%40at.co.ke The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. -- Regards, Waithaka Ngigi Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737 811 000 www.at.co.ke _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/adam%40varud.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kivuva%40transworldafr ica.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngigi%40at.co.ke The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. -- Regards, Waithaka Ngigi Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737 811 000 www.at.co.ke <http://academia.a1.io/images/a1io_footerlogo.png>