The National Assembly Health Committee has summoned the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency’s board following allegations of procurement irregularities.
The committee’s chair Sabina Chege said the summons followed revelations by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe that the agency received Sh2.5 billion from the ministry to buy personal protective equipment (PPE).
The funds were part of Sh23 billion the ministry received from Treasury and World Bank to fight Covid-19.
Some of the monies were disbursed to counties, quarantine centres, Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Kenyatta University Referral Hospital.
Chege said her committee will also find out how the procurement process for the PPE was conducted and whether the companies awarded tenders merited.
The MP said if irregularities are found then the tenders will be annulled.
Chege who doubles as Murang’a Woman Representative noted that the summons will also address allegations that some of the PPE procured were substandard.
Companies that sold faulty and substandard PPE, whether local or international should take back their supplies as the government cannot pay for poor services, she said.
She said it is the responsibility of both county and national government to ensure the right quality of PPE is used to safeguard the lives of healthcare workers.
“We are asking workers who come across faulty PPE to not keep quiet but report them so that they can be returned to the supplying company,” she said.
She pointed out that while the Kenya Bureau of Standards certifies the quality of PPE samples provided by supplying companies, others still tinker with the gear before supplying.
“We have seen some companies providing samples of very good sanitisers and later supply poor quality ones,” she said.
The committee will also investigate how counties have utilised the funds that they have received from the national government and donors for Covid-19 preparedness.
“County governments have received over Sh58.4 billion from the Ministry of Health and we know there are many other donors that continue to fund them such as Danida through the Treasury,” she said.
The committee has asked the Ministry of Health to outline how much each county government has received to make it easy to follow up on the use of the funds.
Chege, however, assured Kenyans that the government has stringent auditing systems that will ensure no coin is lost or misappropriated.
The MP's remarks came days after an investigative broadcast story on NTV alleged that over Sh43 billion had been misappropriated in the Covid-19 fight.
(edited by o. owino)
