NSSF’s 39-storey tower in doubt as Kazungu cancels contracts

“Following the recent sacking of Tom Odongo as managing trustee of NSSF, the government has cancelled all projects that were tendered but not yet awarded or started. The projects will be tendered afresh. Further, that all projects awarded and on-going will be subjected to a comprehensive audit by Efficiency Monitoring Unit,” said Labour secretary Kazungu Kambi in a statement.

The cancellation and suspension of the tenders comes 10 days after the Labour secretary fired Mr Odongo and a board member, Fred Rabongo. Mr Odongo was dismissed without any public explanation.

I think the auditing of the already awarded NSSF Hazina Tower contract will have the following effects:

1. Delay on the handing over of the site to the contractor and subsequent delay in the completion of the construction. This will only happen if the handing over has not been done.

2. If the contractor is instructed to stop any mobilisation activities and wait for the audit to be concluded and the audit takes too long, the quoted rates for materials within the imported component lot will most likely go up. This means early claims on materials escalations by the contractor (which is allowed for in the contract). Most likely this is not a fixed firm contract.

Unless there was a biased view or malpractice by the team of professionals who carried out the tenders evaluation, which the NSSF would have easily pick and unless the NSSF irregularly awarded it against the professionals advice, which cases may lead to the auditors recommending for the contract's termination, then the construction will definitely continue.

If the client (NSSF) for whatsoever reason decided to determine the contract, the contractor will be within his rights to claim for loss of profits...

Ok, I think Kidero is a member of the mighty republic of Wazua

Hellooo. I remember seeing the foundation being done while at UoN as an undergrad and we all wondered what monster was coming up. Two regrets now;

1. That pensioners money was embezzled and the crooks also denied Nairobi the pleasure of the masterpiece on the landscape.

2. The new tower will permanently block my office from receiving the morning sunshine...

Piece of advise on traffic, avoid Monrovia and Moktar Daddah Streets. At the very least stick to Koinange and Muindi Mbingu. I hope the chinese will be bringing in materials at night so that daytime is just piling up the floors. A welcome addition to Nairobi.

During the early days of excavations (in August 1997 to be precise), the civil/structural engineers had already finalised on the traffic issues along Monrovia rd, Mokhta Daddah rd, Koinange st, Loita st, Biashara st, Banda st and Muindi Mbingu with the then Nairobi City Council.

The NCC disregarded the plans and constructed parking spaces along Monrovia and Mokhta Daddah roads after the phase 1 (basements, ground floor, mezzanine 1 & 2 and 1st floor of the main tower).

That was the genesis of the current traffic problems along Koinange, Loita, Banda and Muindi Mbingu streets.