Appearing before the Senate team investigating the bungled Sh 3.7 billion mosquito nets tender at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kems...
Appearing before the Senate team investigating the bungled Sh 3.7 billion mosquito nets tender at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) on June 6, 2023, sacked principal secretary Josephine Mburu said she did not know why she was fired by President William Ruto over the matter.
Addressing the Committee, Ms Mburu said she was neither involved in the procurement processes nor cancelling the tender once irregularities in awarding it emerged.
“I do not know why I was fired. As I said, I was in the office around 6:45 when the breaking news came on. I was signing the normal working hours. I was signing letters, reading. I saw in the media and I said okay. But from the media, we were told the President was advised. I think the question is- I would look for justice or maybe- we need to know what advise was the President given for him to go and say ‘Josephine you are involved in this tender.’ And to the best of my ability or knowledge, I have nothing. Whatever I did, I did it to the best of my advantage and knowledge as someone who has been in the system for 34 years.
Remember I am a seasoned civil servant. I know what is confidential , I know what is secret. I know where to touch and where to stop; and I think I would make an appeal to this committee. I’ve had a good working relation and even that day on Monday that I was terminated, I was with the President in a meeting in the morning; and even we had a meeting with him. I would like to be given a fair administrative – to be listen (to) because I think maybe ‘it has happened’ but I think I need to be given a listening,” said Ms Mburu.
The Ministry of Health has two State Departments and as such, there are two Principal Secretary positions for this docket. These are the Directorate of Public Health and Professional Standards which was held by Ms Mburu and the Directorate of Medical Services, which was headed by PS Peter Tum. Ms Mburu was sacked on May 15, 2023, after serving for five months and uproar ensued over why she was being fired over a tender that allegedly fell in PS Tum’s department.
According to the Ministry of Health, the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards is tasked with developing polices on public health and sanitation, oversee the preventive and promotive health services, develop policy on human resource development for health care workers and contribute to the safeguarding public health and promoting a healthier and safer society. On the other hand, the State Department for Medical Services is tasked with setting medical services policy to provide curative health services and managing health policy and administration, oversee pharmacy and medicines control, coordinate national health referral services, develop cancer management polices and support medical research.
Ms Mburu claimed the blame for this latest Kemsa scandal should have been placed at Mr Tum’s feet instead of hers. Mr Tum was moved to the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Arts and Sports once this news made national headlines.
Nation. Africa broke the news of another multibillion tendering scandal at Kemsa in May 2023 after a tender was irregularly awarded to a company that did not meet the requirements set under the Kenyans and Global Fund procurement laws and guidelines to supply mosquito nets to the Global Fund. The Fund cancelled the tender after conducting an audit, costing the government millions in revenue. Global Fund then migrated the tendering process to its online portal in order to do damage control. The Fund intended on distributing the mosquito nets to tens of Kenyan counties where malaria is prevalent.
Also read:
James Smart shares the story of his role models as he turns 39
BIDCO announces renewed commitment to climate change
