Ledama: Kenya’s procurement system is captured by briefcase companies

Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has criticized Kenya's public procurement system, alleging it is dominated by politically connected "briefcase companies" that win high-value government contracts, receive taxpayer funds, and fail to deliver projects. In a recent X post on August 30, 2026, the senator detailed issues with a new referral hospital block and mortuary in Narok County, where over Ksh750 million had been paid despite the project remaining unfinished.

The main contract for the hospital block was awarded at Ksh559 million, with Ksh512 million reportedly already paid to the contractor. A separate Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) contract for the same building was awarded at Ksh470 million, with an additional Ksh245 million paid. The senator argued that these contracts inflated the project's value to over Ksh1 billion on paper, despite the facility failing to meet the scale of the expenditure.

He accused the "briefcase companies" of winning tenders, billing taxpayers, and delivering little to nothing. Olekina concluded that the military was reportedly called in under a separate budget to complete the stalled project, leading to taxpayers effectively paying twice for a substandard outcome. He emphasized the systemic failures in public funds management, particularly in healthcare infrastructure, and called for accountability.

The senator's comments come amid growing scrutiny of public procurement and project management, highlighting concerns about value for money in health sector projects.