Members of Kenya’s parliament have launched a probe into whether government followed strict tender rules regarding the awarding of a school laptop contract to India’s Olive Communications.

It emerged on Friday that Olive Communications is planned to be the supplier of Kenya’s primary schools laptop tender.

But MPs want to ascertain whether due diligence was followed regarding the contract.

As a result, Kenya’s Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang is presenting tender documents for perusal by MPs before questioning sessions begin on Wednesday.

“After receiving the bids and evaluating them, making offers and conducting competitive negotiations, we were to make a final offer to pave way for due diligence on the winning firm,” Kipsang has said.

However, the likes of MP Kimani Ichung’wa has said, “I am willing to appear before this committee to provide evidence that the tendering process was flawed. There was a requirement that the bidders should be original equipment manufacturers.”

This comes after two tendering companies, US based Hewlett Packard (HP) and Chinese firm Haier Electrical Appliances Corporation, who came in position two and three respectively, claimed that Olive Telecommunications had not met the basic tendering requirements of producing the laptops locally.

It has been reported though that Olive edged other companies by quoting lower prices of Khs 22 billion for the project.

Olive is expected to supply 1.3 million laptops for standard one pupils, 20,637 laptops for teachers and an equivalent number of projectors and printers.