Audit firm denies role in medical kitty leasing
PKF Kenya, an audit firm at the centre of the controversial Sh63 billion Managed Equipment Services (MES) programme has denied advising the Ministry of Health to abandon Public Private Partnership (PPP) in favour of leasing.
Although PKF is the consultant that conducted financial analysis to justify the choice of MES over direct purchase, it claims it was only brought on board to advise on financing of the project.
In a special audit, former Auditor General Edward Ouko had indicated that ministry officials gave up on initial PPP, which was the established form of financing medical projects, and adopted a public procurement deal after persuasion by PKF.
Health policy
The auditors stated that the move was contrary to the Health Sector Policy of 2014 that only provides for the PPP model as the only acceptable form of financing health projects.
Appearing before the Senate ad-hoc committee investigating the contentious programme, PFK Kenya managing director David Kabeberi denied swaying the ministry’s decision to lease the equipment.
“We were not consultants at that stage. We did not advise the government to acquire the equipment via MES,” Kabeberi told the Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo-led team.
The committee ruled that at least half of the shareholders should appear before it in a couple days to set the record straight.
“It is important we hold our meeting when all of them are there so that everybody is able to defend themselves,” Nyandarua Senator Mwangi Githiomi advised.
