Huawei has in a surprise move dropped the controversial Kenya Police communication equipment tender they were earlier this month disqualified from.
Huawei was seeking to have the tendering process stopped as it said it was eliminated from the process unfairly.
ZTE Technologies put pressure on the government official after Francis Kimemia, who is the permanent secretary in the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, stopped the tendering process of police communication equipment citing high cost of procurement.
“The cost of supporting county governments, the huge demands for salaries by government employees, and other unnamed priorities as the reason the project should not go on,” said Kimemia, as quoted by the Daily Nation.
Huawei, through its lawyer, said that it withdrew from the lawsuit for the sake of “public interest and national security.”
ZTE, which had won the tender, got a rude shock when the Kimemia instructed the Internal Security to conduct a fresh tendering process.
“Your letter is obviously intended at subverting the ongoing civil case arising from the tender. It is also intended at interfering with the hearing, and steals a judicial march for Huawei,” ZTE complained to the Head of civil service.
The tender was intended to bring on board the technology company that would supply the national security organs with equipment for surveillance.
