Tell Kenyans how Covid-19 funds were used, Karua tells State

Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua has demanded the government provides accountability and transparency on how Covid-19 funds have been spent. 

Speaking during a press conference on Monday, Karua accused the State of presiding over corruption through the fund that was sourced to support the country’s ailing health system.

“We demand full disclosure, transparency and accountability for all COVID-19 funds, resources and equipment from all sources including loans, grants, donations and in-kind support both locally and internationally," she said.

Karua claimed that the  government has collapsed.

"The only things that seems to be functioning in this government are mis-procurement, taxation and political patronage. Kenyans deserve better,” she said.

The party leader asked the Health CS Mutahi Kagwe to tell Kenyans on how Personal Protective Equipment and monies were allocated.

Last week, MPs asked Kagwe and the National Treasury to explain how they have spent money meant to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Led by Soy MP Caleb Kositany, the legislators tasked the National Assembly Finance Committee to compel the two ministries to come clear on how the money has been spent.

This comes after an exposé by a local daily on how billions of shillings circulated and the firms at both the national and county levels got paid, in a supplies frenzy that has created several Covid-19 dollar millionaires.

According to the exposé, some business people chattered planes to China to physically fly in Covid-19 medical supplies while others waited for the goods to land in Nairobi, then snapped them up in bulk and waited.

Initially, Kenya received Sh78.3 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to address the pandemic before the World Bank wired another Sh108 billion to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), as both budgetary support and extra resources to help fight the deadly viral infection.

The African Development Bank also joined the fundraising effort, sending some Sh22.5bn boost as a concessional loan before the European Union topped this up with an additional Sh7.5bn in form of grants.

According to the exposé, in just under 60 days, Kenya had already secured Sh223 billion as part of its Covid-19 war chest.