Following the tentative halt of the construction of the Four-Star, local football body FERWAFA has re-issued another tender notice for new bidders interested in completion of the hotel.
The ground-breaking activities of the four-story hotel building started last August but in February this year it was halted by Kigali City Authority because of lack of construction permits.
According to the official statement released on FERWAFA website, the body has now invited national tenders for the execution for completion of construction work related to FERWAFA Village phase I
Participation to the competition is open on equal conditions to all companies or enterprises specialized in the field with a valid trading license.
A compulsory site visit will be conducted by the representatives of FERWAFA on 22/07/2016. The time and place for departure are fixed on at 10.00A.M local time at FERWAFA head office.
The bids will remain valid for 90 days starting from the deadline of their submission. The opening of the bids will take place in a public session on the same day at 10:30 A.M prompt at the FERWAFA conference-room.
Minister of Sports and Culture Julienne Uwacu, has long explained that construction of the hotel will resume when the proper paperwork is acquired.
She said that, “The issue of the construction permit has been sorted, we have been clear on this issue; construction came to a standstill because of lack of a construction permit. Work will resume when a bidder is announced because we don’t want to run a risk of losing the FIFA grant.”
In April this year, Minister Uwacu rejected the claim that halting the construction was connected with the arrest of FERWAFA secretary general, Olivier Mulindahabi, who is currently on remand over controversy in awarding the contract.
However observers have cautioned the Minister’s claims saying that if the reason was because of lack of construction permits then why was the hotel construction given ago ahead without proper documents and why where two people arrested.
The award of the tender to Experts Company Limited was surrounded by controversy, two other construction companies, Horizon and Fair Construction criticized to the Police about the biased treatment by FERWAFA.
According to investigation conducted out in November last year, Police arrested Protais Segatabazi, the managing director of Experts Company which said to have presented forged documents.
Mulindahabi and eng Adolphe Muhirwa, a consultant hired to study the tender, were also taken into custody.
Police confirmed they are suspected on connection in malpractices and fraudulently awarding of a tender for the construction of the Four-Star hotel.
Police spokesman Celestin Twahirwa said “Both men were arrested to facilitate ongoing investigation, or reasonable belief that they made their decision to award the tender based on favoritisms. Preceding proper procedures prescribed by the law.”
Last month in June, the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court decided to give or deny bail for Olivier Mulindahabi but the court decided he will be released after a period of six months probably next month.
The Four-Star hotel will be built in four phases and the first will include a structure of 40 rooms. FIFA has provided a grant of $2,896,640 (estimated Rwf 2 Bn) towards the project while the other half is a loan.
When completed, the hotel is expected to ease on the cost that the Ministry of Sports and Culture (MINISPOC) spends on national teams during residential training or accommodation for visiting national teams.
FERWAFA is also expected to use the hotel for commercial purposes to generate income for different footballing activities. It will have a total of 100 rooms with a capacity to sustaining and housing three national teams.
Muhamudu Muhe
