The naval ship that was at the centre of controversy over its association with the Anglo Leasing scandals could finally be sailing to its Kenya Navy base.
The Kenya Defence Force confirmed on Tuesday that a team was already in Spain finalising negotiations with the suppliers, Euromarine Industries for delivery of the Sh4.6 billion warship.
Negotiations are at a very advanced stage to have the ship delivered. Our officers from the Kenya Navy and the State Law office have been negotiating with the suppliers and we will soon have it delivered, Department of Defence Director of Communications Bogita Ongeri responded to an enquiry by Daily Nation.
The ship, already christened Jasiri Mombasa might help bolster the Kenya Navys firepower in the war against Somali terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, though the military on Tuesday maintained that the campaign could be won without it.
The navy has been securing Kenyas coastline from infiltration by the terrorist group and keeping a check on Somali pirate gangs in the Indian ocean.
Mr Ongeri was, however, categorical that expected delivery of the ship had nothing to do with the ongoing war against Al-Shabaab.
The negotiations have been going on long before the military operation in Somalia started, we have enough resources for that particular task, stated Mr Ongeri.
The contract to secure the ship was signed in July 2003 and it was one of the 18 contentious security contracts generally described as Anglo-Leasing.
The supplier later sub-contracted the ships construction to another Spanish firm known as Astilleros Gondan.
Payments on this contract were stopped in June 2005 after then Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics, Mr John Githongo blew the whistle on the Anglo Leasing contracts.
The supplier then sued the Government for withholding payments. Mr Ongeri on Tuesday said the renewed negotiations followed a report by the Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Relations in September 2006.
The committee gave the contract a clean bill of health so what remains is for our officers to finalise negotiations so that the ship is delivered. We hope to complete that very soon, he stated.
The committee, chaired by then Laikipia West MP GG Kariuki went on a fact finding tour of Spain where the ship is docked and held meetings with the suppliers before preparing its report.
The report, adopted by Parliament in May 2007, was heavily criticised by civil society groups which accused the committee of taking part in a cover-up to swindle the Kenyan tax-payer of billions of shillings.
Independent anti-graft watchdog Mars Group questioned why the Parliament committee did not meet with the Attorney General or scrutinise the legal and financial contracts to satisfy itself that procurement rules were followed and that the ship was value for money.
The ship has been described as converted oceanographic survey vessel is used for investigative duties such as submarine and mine detection, as well as weapon trailing.
It is a 1,400 tonne frigate, 85 metres long and 13 metres wide at the hull with a maximum speed of 28 knots, about 51 kilometres per hour. There has been no information on the type of weapons it carries.
The Kenya Defence Force confirmed on Tuesday that a team was already in Spain finalising negotiations with the suppliers, Euromarine Industries for delivery of the Sh4.6 billion warship.
Negotiations are at a very advanced stage to have the ship delivered. Our officers from the Kenya Navy and the State Law office have been negotiating with the suppliers and we will soon have it delivered, Department of Defence Director of Communications Bogita Ongeri responded to an enquiry by Daily Nation.
The ship, already christened Jasiri Mombasa might help bolster the Kenya Navys firepower in the war against Somali terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, though the military on Tuesday maintained that the campaign could be won without it.
The navy has been securing Kenyas coastline from infiltration by the terrorist group and keeping a check on Somali pirate gangs in the Indian ocean.
Mr Ongeri was, however, categorical that expected delivery of the ship had nothing to do with the ongoing war against Al-Shabaab.
The negotiations have been going on long before the military operation in Somalia started, we have enough resources for that particular task, stated Mr Ongeri.
The contract to secure the ship was signed in July 2003 and it was one of the 18 contentious security contracts generally described as Anglo-Leasing.
The supplier later sub-contracted the ships construction to another Spanish firm known as Astilleros Gondan.
Payments on this contract were stopped in June 2005 after then Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics, Mr John Githongo blew the whistle on the Anglo Leasing contracts.
The supplier then sued the Government for withholding payments. Mr Ongeri on Tuesday said the renewed negotiations followed a report by the Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Relations in September 2006.
The committee gave the contract a clean bill of health so what remains is for our officers to finalise negotiations so that the ship is delivered. We hope to complete that very soon, he stated.
The committee, chaired by then Laikipia West MP GG Kariuki went on a fact finding tour of Spain where the ship is docked and held meetings with the suppliers before preparing its report.
The report, adopted by Parliament in May 2007, was heavily criticised by civil society groups which accused the committee of taking part in a cover-up to swindle the Kenyan tax-payer of billions of shillings.
Independent anti-graft watchdog Mars Group questioned why the Parliament committee did not meet with the Attorney General or scrutinise the legal and financial contracts to satisfy itself that procurement rules were followed and that the ship was value for money.
The ship has been described as converted oceanographic survey vessel is used for investigative duties such as submarine and mine detection, as well as weapon trailing.
It is a 1,400 tonne frigate, 85 metres long and 13 metres wide at the hull with a maximum speed of 28 knots, about 51 kilometres per hour. There has been no information on the type of weapons it carries.
