The Senate has initiated a third bid to investigate the controversial Sh38 billion medical equipment leased from five international firms to the 47 county governments.
Minority leader James Orengo yesterday moved a motion on the floor seeking the House’s nod to form a nine-member ad hoc committee to unearth the mystery surrounding the Managed Equipment Service (MES) and report back to the House in 90 days.
The motion was, however, deferred to today after the senators failed to agree on the proposed membership of the panel after it emerged that the majority of them were members of the Health Committee.
“The Senate resolves to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate and establish the facts surrounding the leasing of the medical equipment in the now 119 beneficiary hospitals countrywide,” said Senate Minority leader James Orengo, the mover of the motion.
Orengo and his Majority counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen had proposed senators Mbito Michael (Trans Nzoia), Abdulahi Ali (Wajir), Kinyua Nderitu (Laikipia), Moses Wetangula (Bungoma), Fred Outa (Kisumu), and Farhiya Ali (nominated), Petronila Were (nominated), Naomi Shiyonga (nominated) and Mary Seneta (nominated) to probe the deal.
The Siaya senator said the counties got a raw deal in the leasing of the equipment, adding that most devolved units do not have technical personnel to operate them.
This is the third time the senators are attempting probe the mystery surrounding MES that has tied devolved units to paying Sh200 million annually for the equipment.
