A simple mistake involving flash disks has led to the Chinese firm China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) losing out on a lucrative Ksh.29.5 billion railway contract in Kenya.
CRBC was bidding to build the Nairobi Railway City Central Station, a major part of Kenya’s ongoing infrastructure development tied to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
However, during the tender submission process, the company placed two flash disks (USB drives) containing its technical and financial proposals in the same envelope. According to procurement rules, bidders must first submit only technical documents so officials can evaluate quality and capability, before seeing any prices.
This packaging mix-up meant the tender evaluators could have seen pricing information too early something that could unfairly influence the scoring of the technical part of the bid. Competing bidders raised concerns, arguing that this violated the mandatory tender process.
The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB) found CRBC’s bid invalid because of the error, ruling that it breached essential procurement regulations.
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The board ordered Kenya Railways to redo the evaluation and consider other qualified bidders instead.
One of these rivals, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), had quoted about Ksh.22.98 billion, which is Ksh.6.55 billion less than CRBC’s bid.
The Nairobi Railway City Project was first unveiled in 2020, with support from British and global partners, and is intended to ease congestion in the capital by linking rail services to commercial and residential development.
The decision now puts the tender’s future in Kenya Railways’ hands, which must complete the procurement process within 21 days under the board’s directive.
