In order to understand what these Additional/Special Requirements for bidders are, you’ll first need to go through the General Requirements for Eligibility to Tender that we had previously covered here.

This is how the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority breaks down and explains the these additional requirements:

Special Requirements For Construction/Works

Potential bidders should be aware that there are various procedures before they can supply building works, roads and housing. The Ministry of Public Works vets all building contractors through the National Registration Committee (NRC), which is chaired by the Chief Architect.

To qualify to register as a building works supplier, the following are the necessary qualifications:

• Minimum technical qualifications and skills prescribed by the NRC for the category, type and class of registration being sought. At least one of the shareholders or partners must have the technical qualifications and skills set by the committee from time to time;
• Necessary experience as prescribed by the committee in the field of application;
• The applicant’s professional conduct to be such that, in the opinion of the Committee, he/she is a person fit and proper to be registered; and
• The necessary plant and equipment for execution of the intended works. The applicant must show proof of ownership or availability, such as vehicle log books, receipts etc.

The Ministry registers firms in categories A to H for both general and specialised contractors. Category A is the highest, handling projects of over KShs 250 million in general contracts and over KShs 50 million in specialised contracts while Category H is the lowest handling contracts of KShs 5 million contracts and KShs 1 million in general and specialised contracts respectively.

To initiate the registration and classification process, local companies have to pay KShs 3,000 and foreign companies US$200 for a manual which is then given a serial number. The manual outlines the registration process including the payments required.

Additional Requirements For Temporary Registration

This can be facilitated for foreign firms incorporated overseas who are in Kenya for a specific business purpose. Conditions for such registration are in the Ministry of Public Works Registration Procedure Manual.

Special Requirements For Electrical Installations

Electrical contractors include those undertaking contracts for electrical installation, electronics, lift and escalators installation, generating plants and control panels, solar power generation and photovoltaic installations.

For electrical installation, a potential bidder has to be registered with the Energy and Petroluem Regulatory Commission. The regulations governing registration are contained in The Electric Power (Electrical Installation Work) Rules 2006. The various classes of licences are as follows:

• Class C-2 : Lowest class of the possible licences. A holder of such licence can handle single phase supply restricted to up to 2 storey residential and commercial buildings not used as a factory or public entertainment;
• Class C-1 : Carries out class C-2 work and connection to a 3 phase supply at low voltage restricted to four storey building in buildings not used as a factory or public entertainment;
• Class B : As Class C-1 but without limitation to number of storeys whether used as factories or places of public entertainment and for connection to supply not exceeding medium voltage;
• Class A-1 : Can handle all kinds of electrical installations including very high voltage up to 132KVA; and
• Class A-2 : For specialised electrical installations.

For a contractor to be registered as an electrical contractor he/she must be:

• A licensed electrician; or
• Have in his/her employ, a licensed electrician.

This article is part of the Public Procurement Guidelines for Bidders series