High Court halts Kilifi County’s medical cover tender process

The High Court in Malindi has issued orders stopping Kilifi County from processing a comprehensive medical cover for its staff. 

This follows a petition filed under a certificate of urgency by Dishan Joel Mwanyumba and Edward Aranga, who argued that the tendering process was discriminatory.

According to the petitioners, the process denied other bidders a fair opportunity to participate, thereby affecting the competitive evaluation of bids and favouring a predetermined bidder.

"That pending the hearing and determination of the petition, this Honourable Court be and is hereby pleased to issue a conservatory order restraining the 1st respondents’ accounting officers from receiving, assessing, considering, evaluating, and processing bids and tender documents in respect to the tender for the provision of comprehensive medical insurance services for the staff of the County Government of Kilifi in its current form," reads part of the court order.

Represented by lawyer Omayo Aranga, the petitioners told the court that the tender in question is worth over Ksh.500 million.

They also challenged a requirement that bidders must provide evidence of an annual medical gross premium of Ksh.2 billion for the 2023 financial year, claiming it is restrictive and unfairly limits competition among potential bidders.