Undercurrents At Athi Water Works Development Agency

Trouble is looming at Athi River Water Works Development Agency as word has it that ever since the arrival of Michael Thuita as Chief Executive Officer, all has not been well at the agency.

When Thuita arrived at the state agency, his firs target was a lady officer in the legal department. She is is said to have been opposed to suspicious award of multibillion shilling tenders that was a cash cow.

Sources within the parastatal say that Thuita has been forging too managers to resign and end up appointing his favorites in acting capacity as part of his strategy to consolidate his power base at the state agency.

Eng. Michael M. Thuita, Chief Executive Officer.

Currently, those holding plum and strategic positions at the mercy of Thuita are Joseph Kariuki, acting Chief Manager Corporate Services, Alphaxard Kitheka, acting manager sewerage and sanitation works development.

In fact it is said that Kitheka has been planted in the strategic sewerage and sanitation to prey on multibillion World Bank funded project in Nairobi slum areas and construction of multibillion sewerage lines.

Another manager in actin position is Loice Kamau, the In charge of environmental safeguards. Jackson Otieno is acting manager strategy and performance management Abraham Birgen is the acting manager human capital and administration and Paul Muchai, acting in charge of resource mobilization and investments.

Eng. Bonnie Nyandwaro, Manager, Water Works Infrastructure Development.

We have information that Thuita confidant at Athi Works mean looking and sniper operative is Jones Mwinzi, the manager, supply chain management.

Mwinzi is among those managers whose managers positions are held not in acting capacity. Others are Christine Mavia, manager finance and accounts, Murigi Mathew, manager, Bonnie Nyadworo, manager water works infrastructure development, Michael Kimotho and chief manager finance and strategy.

Sources say Thuita embarked on splitting of certain departments that were held by his perceived enemies to weaken them, abs plant cronies in acting capacities.

A clear example is that of two managers in finance- one holding finance and accounts that is Christine Mawia and finance and strategy in the haves of Michael Kimotho.

Our mole revealed that both Kimotho and Mawia are close to the CEO just like Kariuki, the acting boss in corporate services not forgetting Mwinzi, the darling of Chinese contractors.

Mr. Jones K. Mwinzi, Manager, Supply Chain Management.

Athi Water board of directors has Beryl Okumu(Chairperson), Ben Kijuu, Beatrice Maina, Sheila Mutunga, Peter Kihungu, Godfrey Lemiso abs representatives from National Treasury and ministry of water, sanitation and irrigation.

Controversial Tender.

In a controversial tender award on January 12 2021, the parastatal awarded a multibillion shilling tender to a Chinese firm for a period of 18 months.

The tender in question was AWWDA/NARSIPI)/W-03/2020. The tender scope was laying of 120km reticulation sewers in Kasarani, Mwiki and Clay Works areas of Nairobi.

It involves 6,000 number of sewer household connections and construction of two number of facial sludge handling facilities.

Sources say, the directors of Jiangxi Water and Hydropower Construction compromised top management to land the Sh1.7 billion tender.

The Chinese directors of Jiangxi, according to an insider are Liu Ruiling and Wang Xing. The firm business contracts are 0704282558 mobile phone with Postal Address 75372-00200 Nairobi. The physical address is Avic Park, Laikipia Road.

The firm registration details according to documents in our possession is registration number 9136012115862847ua, certificate of incorporation. Its suspicious permit being No 000020025355.

What has left many wondering aloud is the fact that Kenyan law requires foreign firms to have local representative but the firm has no one, as local partners. The firm was awarded lucrative tender despite having not done any local work in Kenya. The technical capacity in quoted was the undertaking or urban works in China Shanggao County from December 2017 to November 2019 at a cost of US Dollars 21,611,830.

Alphaxard Kitheko, Ag. Manager, Sewerage and Sanitation Works Development.

Its financial capacity as per the documents we have in tender award was Sh13.3 billion. The reason given for award was due to the lowest bidding and having met post-qualification criteria including eligibility, historical contracts nonperformance, financial capability, personnel and equipment.

The documents we have to reveal that the tender that the tender was awarded without names of inspection and acceptance committee a matter, to do with variations and addendums raising more questions.

Those CEO Thuita used to manipulate the said tender were Bonnie Nyandwaro who chaired the committee, Nyandwaro is manager water works, infrastructure and development.

Others we’re John Ndegwa, Hosea Ochieng and Billy Kiptoo.

The project is funded by AfDB.