Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. [File]

Kenya has recorded 210 more Covid-19 positive cases in the past 24 hours raising the country's total caseload to 38,923.

In a statement sent to media houses by the Ministry of Health on Friday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe (pictured) said the new cases are from 3,065 samples which push the country’s cumulative tests to 555, 711.

In terms of gender, 141 are male and 69 are female while the youngest case is five-year-old and the oldest is aged 95.

Of the new cases, 205 are Kenyans while five are foreigners.

On a positive note, 91 patients recovered with 77 on the home-based care programme while 14 were discharged from various hospitals bringing the total number of recoveries to 26, 114.

On a sad note, Kagwe said seven patients died from Covid-19 bringing Kenya’s fatalities to 725.

Distribution

Nakuru recorded 75 cases, Nairobi 37, Mombasa 15, Trans Nzoia 13, Kakamega 11, Kilifi 8, Uasin Gishu 8, Kiambu 7, Machakos 7, Bungoma 5, Kisii 3, Elegeyo Marakwet 2 and Naindi 2.

Taita Taveta, Kajiado, Meru, Muranga, Kericho, Baringo, Laikipia, Embu, Vihiga and Narok 1 case each.

In Nakuru, the 75 cases are from Naivasha (23), Nakuru East (22), Nakuru West (16), Subukia (9), Rongai (3) and Nakuru North (2).

In Nairobi, the 37 cases are from Westlands (9), Langata and Dagoretti North (5) cases each, Embakasi East and Starehe (3) cases each, Embakasi Central, Kibra, Mkadara, Embakasi South (2) cases each, Dagoretti South, Kamkunji and Ruaraka (1) case each.

In Mombasa County, the 15 cases are from Mvita (6), Likoni (4), Jomvu (2) Kisauni, Changamwe and Nyali (1) case each.

In Trans Nzoia County, the 13 cases are from Saboti (6), Kiminini (4), Kwanza (3).

In Kakamega County, the 11 cases are from Butere (5), Lugari (3), Malava (2) and Lurambi (1).

Meanwhile, taxpayers are set to lose Sh2.3 billion worth of Covid-19 supplies that will now be sold at lower prices than they were bought.

A special audit of the Covid-19 funds done by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) shows there was irregular use of retrospective direct procurement method, commencing the procurement process without approved budgets and failure to integrate procurement plan to the budget process.

In addition, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) failed to conduct a market survey for items being procured, engaged non-prequalified suppliers with inadequate experience in the market, and conducted inefficient stock management procedures thus exposing public funds to value for money risks and red flags indicating possible procurement frauds.

The special audit also shows the procurement was not conducted for Kemsa’s best interest but could have been influenced by suppliers.

“There is need for further investigations on all companies engaged by Kemsa to establish acts of procurement fraud. The items were procured at a higher price as compared to the current market pricing implying that Kemsa may realise a loss of Sh2,338,261,175 if the products are to be sold at the current market price,” reads the report.

The audit notes that Shop ‘N’ Buy Limited, Kilig Limited and Nanopay Limited had been in existence for less than one year before being awarded the contracts worth Sh900 million, Sh9 million and Sh349 million, respectively, to supply K95 masks and personal protective equipment.

“The special audit established that there was no evidence that the initiation of the procurement process for Covid-19 related items under Kemsa capital budget was triggered by a needs assessment to establish the demand for these products,” reads the report.

According to Gathungu, Kemsa initiated procurement without planning and budgeting and used direct procurement in the guise of urgency, yet the products are still lying at the agency’s warehouse for as long as six months.

The report comes barely two months after the Senate Standing Committee on Health and the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Covid-19 requested the OAG to conduct a forensic audit on the procurement undertaken by Kemsa.