A timber firm that is based in Nakuru County has won a multi million tender to supply Kenya Power with wooden poles. The company known as Timsales will supply Kenya Power with wooden poles worth Sh. 112.87 million. Its sister company known as Rai Cement will supply concrete poles valued at Sh. 70.13 million.
According to a report that appeared in the Business Daily, Kenya’s only business newspaper, the two firms are linked with the tycoon Jaswant Rai’s family, which owns Rai Group Limited. “Timsales directors are listed as Jaswant Singh Rai, Onkar Singh Rai and Tejveer Singh Rai. Those of Rai Cement are indicated as Sarbjit Singh Rai, Sarbjit Singh Rai, Rajbir Singh, Chetan Vyas and Ndovu Milling Ltd,” said the report.
Hotels, land, companies associated with President Uhuru Kenyatta
However, Timsales is also reported to be owned by the Kenyatta Family. For example, a report by the Daily Nation on the first family’s businesses noted that the “The Kenyattas have also been linked to Timsales Holdings, a timber firm, and Beta Healthcare, a pharmaceutical firm, among other companies.”
In the same vein, a career profile breakdown of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s brother Muhoho Kenyatta by the former CBA Bank (now NCBA) notes that Muhoho is a director at Timsales. “Mr. Kenyatta is a leading entrepreneur, businessman and director of several companies within the Eastern Africa region including Brookside Dairy Ltd, Heritage Holdings Ltd, Kenya Dairy Board and Timsales Holding Ltd,” says the profile.
In the Kenya Power tender, the Timsales tender award is the largest among the 13 firms that have won the tender to supply wooden poles. The tender is part of Kenya Power Power’s tenders for the supply of Sh. 1.198 billion concrete and wooden poles.