Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has directed Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) staff working from home to report to work tomorrow, Friday, May 19.
More than 200 employees of KEMSA have been working from home since November 2021 when the board sent them home to allow for organisational restructure following the Kemsa Covid-19 scandal.
While inaugurating the new Kemsa board on Thursday, May 18 in Nairobi, Nakhumicha said it did not make sense for the employees to be just 'sitting at home.'
"I direct the Chair to make sure that the staff understand what is expected of them, it does not make sense to have paid over 200 people sitting at home in the name of Covid-19 yet we all go to our offices," said Nakhumicha.
Further, the Health CS warned that she will not allow officials to continue tainting Kemsa's name.
"We have individual culprits who have tainted the name of this institution. I will stop at nothing even if it means sending home a whole department. I am ready to deal with it...this institution has to be clean," the CS added.
Kemsa has been embroiled in multiple allegations of corruption and malpractice.
On Monday, May 15, President William Ruto revoked the appointment of KEMSA chairperson and members of the Board of Directors.
KEMSA CEO Terry Ramadhani alongside other Ministry of Health staff (Martin Wamwea, Lenson Kariuki, Dr Pauline Duya, Livingstone Njuguna, Dr Charles Kariuki, Justus Kinoti, Cosmas Rotich and Anthony Chege) were suspended.
Ruto has reiterated that his administration will spare no effort in rebuilding the Kemsa supply chain management system so as to secure efficiency and accountability in the provision of medical supplies.
