400 employees have been sent home from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) in a renewed bid to reduce the workforce.
Speaking to the Standard on Monday, October 23, KEMSA acting Chief Executive Andrew Mulwa stated the new board had devised a plan to reduce the bloated workforce from 962 to 562.
According to Mulwa, the drastic measure was aimed at bringing KEMSA to effective service delivery and proper management.
Besides reducing the workforce, the acting Chief Executive announced that KEMSA was working around the clock by discouraging the importation of drugs that are available locally.
He noted that this was key to fulfilling President William Ruto’s promise of giving Kenyans drugs at affordable rates.
“Kenya Medical Supplies Authority is out to support the economy by ring-fencing local products where we will not import what is manufactured locally. Any pharmaceutical products with three manufacturers locally will have similar imports stopped by Kenya Revenue Authority from entering the country,” Mulwa stated.
Mulwa revealed that the government has allocated Kemsa Ksh2 billion and they are gearing up to the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) programme which President Ruto launched during Mashuja Day celebrations in Kericho County on Friday.
The CEO said that the Social Health Insurance Act 2023, Digital Health Act 2023, the Facilities Improvement Financing Act 2023 and the Primary Health Care Act will support government efforts to make the UHC a reality.
“Kemsa has a competitive advantage in the last mile project in the health sector serving 9,000 medical facilities across the country, we guarantee the quality of all products that we will supply by ensuring all the products meet international health standards,” he stated.
Ruto while launching the plan, hailed it as a game-changer insisting that no one will be left behind irrespective of their financial status.
