Senate team to summon ex-AG Muigai, former Health CS over medical kits
Hillary Mageka @hillarymageka
A Senate committee established to investigate the Medical Equipment Services Project has summoned former Attorney General Githu Muigai and former Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu to appear before it next Wednesday.
Former Health Permanent Secretary Dr Khadijah Kassachon has also been summon to appear before the committee that is in the final lap of completing investigations into the Sh63 billion project. The committee is expected to release the report in two weeks.
Githu is expected to explain what he knows about the contract, given the fact that he was the Chief Legal Adviser at the time the contract was assigned, Mailu on the other hand was the minister in charge of the health docket when the MES contract was varied from Sh13 billion to Sh63 billion. Kassachon was the PS when the contract was initially signed.
“Githu Muigai who has been invited and is quite eager to come and explain what he knows about these contracts because the Office of the Attorney-General must approve all contracts executed by Government Ministries and departments.
Some witnesses
Equally important, we have some witnesses, a company called ‘Esteem’ where we did not finish cross- examining and have to get to the bottom of his engagement in this affair, ” Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, who chairs the nine member team told People Daily yesterday.
She spoke just a day after her committee secured an extension of their mandate for a further period of 23 days to enable them conclude its work and table its report in the House on or before August 4, 2020.
In a procedural motion tabled by Senator Dullo on Tuesday, the senate team said it required more time to include its inquiry into the matter, as it has been unable to meet with key witnesses who would provide crucial information that would inform the Committee’s recommendations.
The committee cited the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ministry of Health guidelines on social distancing and staying safe for their inability to conclude its work.
“We were unable to conclude this report simply because the Covid-19 pandemic came and the conditions that were set during the early stages of the disease.
We were unable to continue and we were told to step down,” Dullo held insisting that her committee done substantive work in terms of its responsibility.
Now that the situation has improved, she requested the house endorsement to be allowed to proceed and conclude the matter.
