The Ministry of Health has issued a statement in response to a news article that had raised concerns about the award of contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of several health facilities in the region. In a statement released by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Dr. Kalangwa Kalangwa, the Ministry has clarified that the procurement process was conducted transparently and in accordance with the law.
“We wish to clarify concerns raised in the Daily Nation Newspaper about the award of contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of health facilities in Eastern and Southern Provinces,” Dr. Kalangwa said. “The Ministry of Health followed the Public Procurement Act in inviting bids for the project, and the evaluation committee recommended six companies that were responsive. Notification was sent to all 81 participants about the intention to award the contract to the best-evaluated bidders.”
Dr. Kalangwa emphasized that the Ministry of Health is committed to upholding the highest standards of transparency and fairness in its procurement processes. “We value the public’s checks and balances and remain committed to upholding the tenets of good governance in a bid to improve universal access to quality health services,” he said.
The statement also addressed concerns raised in the news article about the registration of the companies that were awarded the contracts. According to Dr. Kalangwa, the two companies mentioned in the article, SJ Top Brands Media Limited and Davisbet Enterprise Limited, provided proof of registration with the National Construction Council at the time of the bid closing in December 2022.
“The Ministry of Health conducted a due diligence process before the final award of the contracts, and currently, no contract has been awarded on these projects,” Dr. Kalangwa said. “We take our procurement processes seriously and remain committed to ensuring that they are conducted transparently and in accordance with the law.”
Dr. Kalangwa also noted that the Ministry had not officially received any queries or concerns about the tender during the notification period. “During the 10-day notification period, bidders were invited to submit their queries or concerns to the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, but we did not receive any query or concern on this tender,” he said.
The Ministry’s statement is expected to allay concerns and assure the public that the procurement process was conducted transparently and in accordance with the law. Dr. Kalangwa emphasized that the Ministry remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity in the award of contracts and to ensuring that the people of Eastern and Southern Provinces have access to quality health services.