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The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has been granted its wish to have a case challenging the award of a multi-billion tender for new currency printing heard in camera. The CBK, through its lawyer Ochieng’ Oduol, had wanted the public locked out of the matter, which has been filed at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board, appealing the decision to pick British firm De La Rue International Ltd. ALSO READ: Tanzania to introduce rate cap after Kenyas success Swedish firm Crane AB that offered the lowest bid accuses CBK of flouting the law and lacking transparency in awarding the lucrative deal to De La Rue International Ltd under the guise of 15 per cent margin preference to a firm with local shareholding. CBK claims that some of the information on the tender may compromise national security if the proceedings are opened to the public and the media. Crane AB lawyer James Gitau Singh opposed the application, saying that in any case, both CBK and De La Rue had revealed much of the information in a case where the British firm had attempted to stop the open tender in a cause it filed. “The parties appear to be applying double standards of open hands and gloves. What is that they are now concealing from the public yet they (CBK and De La Rue) were on the opposing side in an early case at the High Court?” Gitau asked. When the case came up for hearing on Friday, the procurement review board chairman Paul Gicheru ruled that owing to the nature of the matter, the case be heard in camera except for lawyers and parties. Mr Gicheru further set January 3, 2018 as the hearing date while ordering parties to file written submissions on or before January 2. This is a second suit seeking to stop the CBK from awarding the lucrative deal to De La Rue. Legal entity |
