Lawmakers want Kemsa to avail contract documents
Public Investment Committee (PIC) of the National Assembly has ordered the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority to provide contract documents of companies it hired, to supply Protective Personal Equipment (PPEs), testing kits, chemical reagents, and other materials the agency bought to fight against Covid-19.
The committee has given Kemsa seven days to hand over to the Auditor General all documents related to the procurement of Sh 7.6 billion Covid-19 emergency equipment.“We have a mandate as PIC to look into public investments.
We are aware that Kemsa had a commitment of Sh11.7 billion out of which you procured equipment and drugs worth Sh7.6 billion,” Abdulswamad Nassir who chairs PIC said during a meeting with the acting Kemsa Chief Executive Officer Edward Njoroge last Friday.
Nassir said the management will also be required to explain the Sh3.58 billion payments to several companies and the pending bill of Sh4 billion, which is subject of contention.
The committee demanded to know whether it received the Treasury’s commitment to pay for the purchase of the Covid-19 materials and whether the Kemsa board approved the procurement.
The MPs want Kemsa to furnish a full list of companies that won the various tenders as well as the directors of the winning firms.
Kemsa is in the eye of a storm after reports emerged that it procured Covid-19 emergency items at exorbitant prices.
Kemsa, which buys drugs for all public health facilities in the country, is currently under investigations by three committees of the National Assembly and one in the Senate over Covid-19 purchases
