KAA faces suit over cancelled tender – Weekly Citizen

A move by Kenya Airports Authority to hold contracts worth Sh257 million awarded to Colnet Company for cleaning services at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, citing low business due to Covid-19, is headed to courts. KAA wrote a letter sent to Colnet dated April 28 relating to a three-year contract after the firm declined to a notice to reduce charges cut in line with low passenger numbers. “You have adamantly declined to make any reduction as stated in your letter dated April 20 2020,” wrote KAA acting managing director Alex Gitari in the letter.

Alex Gitari

“Kindly be advised that the contract hereby stands suspended with no liability on the part of the authority until such a time when the pandemic is over and normalcy reduced at the authority’s airports,” the letter reads. In the contract seen by Weekly Citizen, Colnet offers cleaning services for general areas and toilets at terminals 1B, C, D as well as in cargo freight terminal, old training school cargo village and M-station. Colnet has read mischief in KAA officials move to discount millions when such clause does not exist in the contract. The firm lawyers argue, the contract was suspended unprocedurally. “In light of the above, the authority has no choice but to invoke clause 21 of the respective contracts and issue notice on the grounds of the pandemic being an event under force majeure,” it goes on.