Loss of cash at Kenya Medical Research Institute KEMSA has finally cost Kenya their donations as now key donors have indicated their desire to withdraw support in the country.
According to Citizen Digital, two main donors will be withdrawing upto sh 400 billion after theft of Covid-19 funds was reported at the government agency KEMSA.
The reckless theft at KEMSA has sadly triggered another battlefront where the United States Agency Development USAID alongside Global Fund have both threatened to stop funding health projects in the country due to alleged scandals citing insecurity to their funds.
Reports which have reached news media indicate that the two have already written to the State to express their reservations over the alarming situation.
USAID and Global Fund who make main donors for Kenya’s health sector have written to the government a proposal to withdraw support for Tuberculosis and Malaria programs for a period of three years. The donors claim they have concerns with regards to tendering at KEMSA and how the body has been implementing granted funds.
To make the matter worse for the country, Covid-19 scandal has exposed underdealings at KEMSA, a body mandated to handling medical equipment in the country, and now it is struggling to dispose sh 2 billion PPEs and other Covid-19 supplies whose expiry period is almost.
The crisis has been created by the fact that KEMSA is finding it hard to spot buyers of items they purchased at deliberate sexed up prices. And sources say the agency has a stock worth sh 6 billion and which it has to dispose at sh 4 billion to get back their invested cash.
If given a green light from the Ministry of Health to go ahead, they will have to endure the sh 2 billion in losses. But this will mean the ministry must be ready to pump funds back into the body perhaps from the treasury for sustainability.
As reported, KEMSA made questionable procurements without getting official approvals from the medical board or the Ministry of Health MOH which has now led to the internal conflict leaving them badly exposed.
Citizen Digital, however, claimed to have documents showing how Health Ministry PS Susan Mochache directed that KEMSA procures 25,000 PES, 10,000 N95 masks and 6000 lab sample transport collection consumables kits. This directive was issued on March 18, 2020.
Health head Mutahi Kagwe who has been flip flopping on the matter, after pressure, had to admit that in deed there have been issues at KEMSA and this will be addressed soon.
