Kagwe defends Kemsa over supply of Sh300m free masks

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe when he appeared before the National Assembly Health Committee at Parliament on Monday. [Boniface Okendo,Standard]

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe was yesterday put on the spot by the National Assembly Health Committee over Sh300 million allocated for purchase of masks for the vulnerable.

It emerged that no mask has been distributed to the group despite the money being disbursed to Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) in the last financial year for procurement of the items.

“So many people cannot afford masks when Kemsa is just sitting on millions. Vulnerable Kenyans are on a daily basis forced to make a decision on whether to buy food or masks,” said Mbeere North MP Muriuki Njagagua.

But Kagwe said procurement of the reusable masks was ongoing and will soon be distributed to the vulnerable families across the country.

“The ministry received Sh300 million in the fourth quarter of 2019/20 for procurement of reusable face masks that shall be provided to vulnerable persons in the country,” said the CS.

“The funds were transferred to Kemsa and procurement of the masks is ongoing. Distribution of the reusable face masks shall be undertaken through the national government using county commissioners and chiefs to the identified vulnerable persons,” Kagwe told the committee chaired by Murang’a Woman Rep Sabina Chege.

Members of the committee claimed that some senior government officials at the ministry instructed Kemsa bosses to award contracts to particular firms.

The agency’s chief officer Jonah Manjari, Eliud Muriithi (Commercial Director) and Charles Juma (Procurement Director) have since stepped aside to face investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino said the taxpayers were not getting value for the billions allocated to the fight against Covid-19.

Previously when he appeared before the committee, the embattled Kemsa chief officer claimed that the list of preferred firms would come from Afya House, leaving the agency with no room to carry out procurement devoid of external influence.

But the CS dismissed the claims, terming them fiction and innuendoes. He said he invited the EACC to probe procurement at the agency.

“I don’t know who was supposed to issue instructions to Kemsa and also send a list. I can say for a fact it is not the one you are looking at. These are just fiction and innuendos,” said Kagwe.

He further dismissed reports that donations from Jack Ma were stolen and subsequently sold in Tanzania.

Principal Secretary Susan Mochache refuted reports that over Sh4 billion could have been lost at the agency in the procurement of reagents and other essentials.

Mochache said the agency has not received more than Sh2.5 billion for the Covid-19 fight. She noted that the agency has so far received Sh1.5 billion for testing kits and Sh300 million to purchase masks.

The ministry told the committee that a total of Sh23 billion has since been disbursed for containment of the pandemic. At least Sh16.7 billion was disbursed by the national government while Sh6.7 billion came from donors.

“Under the National Emergency Response Fund Committee recommendation, Sh300 million was collected from the National Contingency Fund and channeled through the Ministry of Health to facilitate preparation of the national response to Covid-19,” said Kagwe.

Out of the Sh300 million, Sh10 million was disbursed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support Kenyan students in Wuhan, China while the Ministry of Defence received Sh75 million for “immediate preparedness and readiness for response”.

National Youth Service received Sh10 million to provide personnel to assist at the airport when passengers were being subjected to 14-day mandatory quarantine.

Kenyatta National Hospital received Sh150 million to equip the first Covid-19 isolation centre at Mbagathi in Nairobi.