Governor Threatens to Block Contractors from Govt Tenders

Governor Abdulswamad Shariff has threatened to spearhead efforts to blacklist all contractors in Mombasa County who fail to deliver on government projects.
Speaking on Wednesday, Governor Abdulswamad declared that his administration would no longer tolerate underperformance from firms which win public contracts but fail to execute them effectively despite funds being made available.
“Now that the money is there, I want to say this here: in the event they fail to honour their contracts, then Mombasa will be taking the lead through the Council of Governors and through the Senate for the companies and their shareholders to be blacklisted,” the governor warned.
Abdulswamad was categorical in his frustration as he specifically faulted contractors in the water sector over alleged laxity.
He went on, “Today I have issued a firm warning to errant contractors in the water sector who have failed to deliver on their obligations. Our people deserve a reliable water supply, and any contractor who stands in the way of this right will face decisive action.”
His remarks came after appearing before the Senate County Public Investments Committee, which is currently reviewing the operations and financial health of different county-run institutions, including the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital and the Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company.
Notably, contractors in Mombasa are heavily engaged in reducing non-revenue water (NRW), which is a major challenge in the county. These services include detecting and fixing illegal connections, installing smart meters, and supporting data-driven monitoring systems to track and minimise water losses across the network.
On Wednesday, Governor Abdulswamad also updated the Senate committee on progress made in key sectors. On the water supply front, he revealed that recent crackdowns on illegal water connections have yielded tangible results.
“Non-revenue water has been cut by over 7 per cent over the past one month since we commenced our crackdown on illegal connections,” he reported. This, he said, has allowed the county to boost water supply to areas such as Likoni and the West Mainland, where shortages have been persistent.
The issue of underperforming contractors came to light in July, when Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Delivery and Government Efficiency, Eliud Owalo, flagged a growing trend of politically shielded contractorswho dodge accountability and deliver substandard work.
At the time, Owalo revealed plans to crack down on individuals undermining service delivery through conflicts of interest and procurement interference.
The Deputy Chief of Staff maintained that the government will not tolerate contractors hiding behind political patronage to deliver substandard or incomplete work.