As the investigation continues, the names and faces of officials who presided over the multi-billion-shillings Covid-19 have started to be unmasked.
Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) bosses on Thursdays placed Heath Principal Secretary Susan Mochache at the center of the scam.
Kemsa Chairman Kembi Gitura said the PS ordered the agency to exclusively procure Covid-19 equipment from specific companies and at set prices.
Kemsa manager told the National Assembly Health Committee they acted from the PS Mochahe order.
Gitura told Sabina Chege-led committee that Kemsa received a letter in April from Mochacher with details on how to go about the procurement.
The agency’s chairman told the committed that the letter from the PS contained instructions on what to buy, where and at what cost to being the equipment, a move he described as not procedural as Kemsa is not supposed to get direction from the ministry.
“We received a letter from the Ministry of Health containing a list where we should procure from, the prices and the quantity. I can vouch on the quality of PPEs we procured,” Gitura told the committee.
He, however, admitted that although the directive by the PS was irregular, it does not amount to illegalities committed during the procurement process of the PPEs.
According to a report by Nation, Ms. Mochache said in a letter dated April 15 that the World Bank had identified and approved various items to be procured.
“This is to approve the procurement of goods worth Sh758, 690,583 as outlined in the annex. Disregard all other requests made concerning Covid-19 as they have been captured under this approval,” the letter reads.
Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny noted that the directive by the PS amounted to an irregularity since it went against the tender rules.
“The money should have been given to Kemsa and a tender floated for companies to bid,” Kutuny said.
During its appearance before the committee, the Ministry of Health denies directing Kemsa om what to buy.
The health committee has now summoned the PS to appear before the committee again to authenticate the letter she allegedly signed and sent to Kemsa.
Documents brought before the committed show that companies such as Tikasan Holdings Co Ltd, Megascope Healthcare, Kema Ltd, Medilab, and Applied Products have already been given millions of shillings for the supply the PPEs to Kemsa.
The document shows that Megascope pocketed Sh91.3 million for supplying face masks, Tikasan took got Sh4.4 million, and Applied Products Sh417, 000.
Other firms that supplied equipment and are still waiting for payment are Faram Limited (Sh3.2 million), Chemoquip Ltd (Sh4.1 million), and F and S Scientific Ltd (Sh25.4 million).
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Giruta asked the committee that vilify Kemsa without facts and that the investigative agencies must be allowed to complete investigations.
“We shall take responsibility if and when required. So far people are just speaking without facts,” Gitura said.
Giruta added that they have opened all their warehouses countrywide for the public to confirm that all PPEs bought by the government and those donated are intact.
