Kagwe: How Covid millions were spent
The Ministry of Health (MoH) purchased face masks worth Sh300 million, but has not been able to distribute them, Principal Secretary Susan Mochache told a parliamentary committee yesterday.
She told the Health Committee of the National Assembly that her ministry also spent Sh500 million to improve infrastructure at Kenya Medical Training Colleges (KMTC) and a further Sh200 million has been spent on isolation centres in the country.
Mochache who had accompanied Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, said the budget set aside for Covid-19 pandemic needs was Sh23.4 billion.
The committee had summoned the CS to explain how money was spent by the ministry in the management of the pandemic.
Committee members, however, protested that the items the ministry was claiming to have purchased had not benefited Kenyans in any way.
“You cannot tell us that you purchased face masks worth Sh300 million and yet people in towns and villages do not wear masks,” posed Charles Njagagua (Mbeere North).
Theft claims
Njagagua also said that no infrastructural development had been done at the Embu MTC and wondered how the Sh500 million had been spent if some facilities had been left out.
Kagwe was also hard pressed to explain whether items donated by the Jack Ma Foundation were stolen and later sold to the government.
However, Kagwe defended MoH saying the masks were not bought to be given to every Kenyan, but to those who cannot afford.
“The masks are strictly for those who cannot afford to buy for their own. We cannot distribute to all Kenyans, we don’t have the capacity,” Kagwe told the Sabina Chege-led committee.
The CS told the committee investigating agencies, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC), had commenced probe on impropriety in the acquisition of Covid-19 pandemic equipment, both in the ministry and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa).
“As you are aware, the former Kemsa chief executive and some two directors are under suspension to pave way for investigations to be done at the authority. The matter is now before the agencies and not my ministry,” Kagwe said.
He also said he was not aware of any member of parliament who was involved in the supply of Covid-19 related equipment to Kemsa.
“I cannot respond to things said out there in the social media. I have heard just like you that MPs supplied Covid-19 related items to Kemsa.
This is a rumour as far as I am involved, let’s wait for the investigators to complete their work and until then we cannot respond,” Kagwe maintained.
Insurance burden
Responding to a question by Seme MP James Nyikal on why insurance companies were not paying for coronavirus patients, Kagwe said under the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, a pandemic is not insurable.
Three top managers at Kemsa were yesterday suspended following the ongoing probe into the claims.
The EACC is currently investigating the suspended officials; chief executive officer Jonah Manjari, procurement director Charles Juma and his commercial counterpart Eliud Muriithi, in relation to the controversial Sh7.7 billion tenders for the emergency procurement of Covid-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that was to be delivered by July 22, 2020.
Kemsa board chairman Kembi Gitura said last week the EACC had asked the agency’s board to take the action and suspend the officials pending the outcomes of the probe.
Preliminary analysis of the probe showed there were irregularities in the issues at hand and there were concerted efforts from within to cover up.
