Alarm as a controversial firm wins Ksh 20 billion Ruto’s housing tender
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Controversial firm embroiled in a case of a collapse of a building in Nandi County wins KSh20 billion state housing tender
Controversial firm embroiled in a case of a collapse of a building in Nandi County wins KSh20 billion state housing tender.
A controversial local construction company that was involved in the Nandi County building collapse that resulted in one fatality and six injuries has won a lucrative Sh20 billion government housing contract.
Epco Builders Ltd was contracted to deliver 5,360 affordable housing units in Machakos County. The Mavoko project sits on 55 acres.
This is a part of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s pledge to construct 200,000 reasonably priced homes each year for people who make between low and middle incomes.
Charles Hinga, principal secretary for housing and urban development said the project will be completed in four years.
“The project is being undertaken by a local contractor, who will ensure the transfer of skills through the use of local labour,” said Mr Hinga during the ground-breaking ceremony.
According to a report by the Daily Nation, the contractor is still smarting from the building that collapsed on May 8, 2019, at Kemeloi Polytechnic, a technical and vocational training (Tvet) institute in Nandi County.
Mr Edwin Lubaga, 35, died while being rushed to Kapsabet Level Five Hospital due to serious injuries he sustained after “a beam supporting a building” that was under construction broke, forcing the building to collapse.
The incident also saw six other people sustain injuries.
Epco Builders Ltd had been contracted by the State Department of Vocational and Technical Training under the Ministry of Education, to construct a multibillion-shilling structure at Kemeloi Polytechnic.
According to the police report, the company was compelled to record a statement to the Director Criminal Investigations Officer (DCIO) in charge of Nandi Hills after the incident.
However, it is unclear if the contractor recorded a statement now, over four years later.
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There are also little details regarding any investigations the authorities may have conducted to determine whether the accident was caused by shoddy construction or the use of subpar materials.
The controversial firm, Epco is also building Tvet institutions across the country.
Information published on its website indicates that the company is one of the most renowned building and civil engineering firms in the country and is registered in category NCA 1 by the National Construction Authority (NCA).
The website further states that the company has an annual turnover of over Sh5 billion and has the capacity to handle projects worth up to Sh12 billion.
It also owns a yard on Mombasa Road near Athi River where heavy equipment and batching plants are installed.
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