NAIROBI, Kenya, May 17 — Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has pleaded with Kenyans, including those calling for her resignation amid corruption allegations surrounding the donor-funded National Malaria Programme, to give her time to sort out the ‘mess’ that has plagued the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
She was responding to a section of Kenyans including Azimio leader Raila Odinga who have argued that she ought to have resigned because she bares the greatest responsibility on matters under her docket.
On Wednesday, Nakhumicha explained that she took immediate action upon receiving the report from the Global Fund, which flagged irregularities in KEMSA’s procurement process.
She said that she promptly wrote to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), requesting an investigation to uncover the truth behind the issue.
“I am going to stand tall and lead this Ministry to doing the right thing. Kenyans know that the president cracked the whip to the extend of terminating contract of one of my PSs and now the reshuffle, but as it is Kenyans’ culture in reading the president’s speech everybody missed out on the step that had been taken by the Cabinet Secretary,” Nakhumicha said.
“It was very clear, the decision that the President took and what the Cabinet Secretary had done. Kenyans need to know that last week on Thursday immediately after the release of that report I did write to EACC an asked them to come and investigate.”
9 officials suspended
While defending herself, Nakhumicha said that the suspension of immediate former KEMSA CEO Terry Ramadhani alongside three KEMSA staffers and 5 Afya House officials working under the Ministry of Health National Malaria Programme was made based on internal investigations on their involvement.
Those suspended are: Martin Wamwea (MOH), Lenson Kariuki (MOH), Dr. Pauline Duya (MOH), Livingstone Njuguna (MOH), Dr. Charles Kariuki Chege (MOH), Justus Kinoti (KEMSA), Cosmas Rotich (KEMSA) and Anthony Chege (KEMSA).
She confirmed that EACC detectives are currently undertaking thorough investigations on the matter adding that she is awaiting EACC report to determine further actions.
“We are giving time for the proper investigations to be done, I believe they will come back with the exact names and then now a final action will be taken,” she said.
The Health Cabinet Secretary also clarified that, as part of the procurement process, once evaluations are completed, the report is submitted to KEMSA’s Director of Procurement for their opinion before forwarding it to the Global Fund.
However, according to her “there was a misstep that the report was first submitted to Global Fund.”
She explained that submitting to Global Fund is part of the process for them to give concurrence if procurement should proceed but Global Fund declined and gave reasons pointing to how to how the evaluation was done.
“Suppose what Global Fund has said is true because we are also doing investigations in terms of how that evaluation happened and going into the nitty gritty of the details then it has assisted us to ensuring that public funds are not misappropriated,” the Health CS said.
Cracking the whip
On Monday Felix Koskei, the Head of the Public Service said that President William Ruto had fired Public Health Principal Secretary Josephine Mburu following complaints of alleged impropriety within the KEMSA in its management and administration of various medical programmes being undertaken by Kenya in conjunction with its development partners.
“THE COMPLAINTS FOLLOW the regular verification of expenditure by the Global Fund with regard to the National Malaria Programme that targets millions of low-income Kenyan households within our nation’s malaria endemic regions,” Koskei said on May 15.
The suspension came after the Global Fund cancelled Kemsa’s procurement process, which appeared to favour a bidder who did not meet the mandatory requirements.
The tender worth 3.7 Billion shillings was for the supply of treated mosquito nets made of both polyethylene and polyester.
The Global Fund records show that the tender evaluation excluded the only company, China’s Tianjin Yorkool, that met all the required conditions under both Kenyan and Global Fund procurement laws and guidelines.
Koskei further stated that the alleged maladministration on the part of KEMSA is with regard to the procurement of treated mosquito nets for vulnerable households, which he says could have led to significant exposure to the disease and increase in its severity in the endemic regions.
Koskei pointed out that the move is an affirmation of President William Ruto’s commitment to “entrenching of good governance within our national life by promoting accountability and openness in the management of public affairs.”
The Head of Public Service pointed out that President Ruto’s Government is committed to heralding a new era in the management of the country’s healthcare by ensuring that no Kenyan will be denied the dignity of affordable medical care due to corruption.
