Scores of Kenyans who bid for items including vehicles during a recent auction by a roads agency now risk losing their Sh60,000 deposit.
Through a public notice, the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) warned that the bidders would automatically lose their despite after failing to honour their bids by paying the reserve prices.
The auction took place between February 7 and 14 but will now have to be repeated after many of the successful bidders failed to honour their offers in what KeNHA termed as “mischief.”
“It has come to the attention of the authority that some members of the public frustrated the auction of select items in the just concluded auction process. It reads mischief in the select bidders offer since they have not honoured their bids,” KeNHA said in a public notice yesterday.
It added: “In compliance with the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Regulations (PPADR), the said bidder will lose their auction deposit of Sh60,000. The items in question will be processed for a fresh auction.”
Late last year, KeNHA had advertised the intended sale by public auction of various items which included motor vehicles, obsolete, surplus and unserviceable items and set January 24 as the date when the public would start to view their items of choices in 23 locations across the country.
To obtain a bidding number, interested bidders for motor vehicles were required to deposit a refundable fee of Sh60,000.00 per vehicle, Sh50,000 for the weighbridge scrap and containers per lots and Sh5,000 for other lots in cash to KeNHA at the cash office at the Auction Centre before being allowed to bid.
Any successful bidder was to pay 25 per cent of the purchase price in cash or deposited in KeNHA bank account provided in the catalogue at the fall of the hammer and the balance to be paid within 14 days.
Meanwhile, KeNHA says the construction of Katani and SGR Syokimau footbridge is nearing completion to relieve pedestrians’ inconveniences of crossing Mombasa Road and Nairobi Expressway.
According to the Authority, the contractor has so far completed the construction of the reinforced bridge foundation for the two bridges while preparations are underway for laying of foundation works at the Airtel Bridge.
“The primary works involve construction reinforced concrete foundations, steel supports and steel bridges. Then there is fabrication which is in its advanced stages of completion and it involves the production of drawings, cutting and joining various elements which is done off site.” The notice added.
“This will be followed shortly with the assembly of the steel substructures and bridges on site which takes a short time. This means the project is on track and within the stipulated timelines.” KeNHA said.
