Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho has encountered his first significant setback since taking office after activist and Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah moved to the High Court to block a re-tendering of the Liwatoni Fresh and Frozen Fish Processing Plant in Mombasa County.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Justice Olga Sewe issued a temporary injunction preventing Joho and other State officials from awarding any contracts under the re-advertised tender for the multi-million-shilling project.
The court ruled that no further handover to new firms should take place until the matter is resolved.
Omtatah, in his petition, argued that the fish plant is already completed and operational, making any re-tendering unnecessary and wasteful.
He claimed that the move to re-advertise the tender is a scheme to misappropriate public funds.
The Liwatoni plant, officially launched in August 2022 by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, cost the government Ksh1.2 billion and has created 3,000 jobs since its completion.
Omtatah insisted that the project does not require further procurement processes.
The court set a hearing date for September 19 to give further directions on the case.
Joho, who took over the Ministry in July, faces increasing legal challenges regarding his appointment and the project’s management….CLICK HERE FOR MORE ARTICLE>>>
