§ Mr. Tilneyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why, in 1950, the order for Sasumua Dam in Kenya was given 64W to a French firm at approximately half the price tendered by reputable British contractors; and why it is now necessary to call for fresh tenders.
§ Mr. Lyttelton,pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 4th March, 1953; Vol. 512, c. 362], supplied the following information:
The original successful tender was, as my hon. Friend stated, at approximately half the price of the nearest purely British tender. The original contract was terminated, thus necessitating the invitation of fresh tenders, because the company did not execute the works in accordance with the contract and had seriously defaulted in many important aspects of it.
As to the siting, East Africa is a volcanic country which makes the selection of ideal sites for such reservoirs extremely difficult and it is often necessary to accept a site which falls below the ideal. The Sasumua Dam site was chosen after a very careful investigation and examination of a number of possible alternatives and detailed geological and soil examinations were made before the contract was let. The Nairobi City Council's advisers remain satisfied that a satisfactory dam can and will be built on the site.
The background of the tendering firm was investigated before the contract was let. It was registered in Kenya, with a nominal capital and backed by French firms of high standing and international repute, and the consulting engineers were satisfied with the firm and that the work could be done at the price quoted.