The national assembly parliamentary committee on health has urged stakeholders affiliated with the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to support the authority’s board and management.
Speaking at the Nairobi Serena Hotel after a briefing session with KEMSA Board Members, Health Committee Chair Sabina Chege expressed the Committee’s satisfaction with the reforms plan drawn up by the KEMSA board.
Ms Chege was accompanied by Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache and members of the parliamentary health committee. She further dismissed reports that the military and related security agencies had taken over KEMSA.
The KEMSA Board, led by Chairperson Mary Mwadime, reiterated that the Authority is undertaking normal operations guided by a business continuity plan (BCP) rolled out to carry our crucial reforms.
The Board, she said, is firmly in control through providing policy oversight and is working closely with a core management team assisted by a multi-agency team made of public sector experts. The multi-agency operations team is handling logistics, human resource management, quality assurance, physical and information security, among other dockets.
“We are comfortable to hear that the Board is in full control. The whole issue about the Military and NYS that has been flying around we have been assured is misguided. As a committee, we have asked the Board to take care of the employees and ensure that due process is followed, even as the restructuring gets underway,” said Ms. Chege.
While imploring stakeholders to support the Board in the restructuring process, the Health Committee further appealed to County Governments owing KEMSA to settle their debts.
According to Ms Chege, KEMSA aims to recover a massive debt load occasioned by a delay in paying outstanding debts for medical supplies already delivered to several counties.
The Committee, she said, had also expressed its concern on the management stability, asking the Board to consider filling the positions currently held by acting Managers substantively.
“It is important that this Board maintains a proper management team and to make sure that supplies are uninterrupted to KEMSA clients. My appeal to the County Governments is if you owe KEMSA, kindly urgently pay. It is important that we take KEMSA back to its former glory,” she added.
In June 2021, out of 11,000 orders received at KEMSA, only 345 orders were serviced at the Authority, which is suffering from a developing debtor and creditor crisis. Currently, KEMSA is owed Ksh. 6.4 billion and owes its creditors Ksh. 4.5 billion. The Authority is operating at 170% above its approved staff establishment of 341 with an estimated staff complement of 922.
Last week, Ms. Mwadime confirmed that the necessary interventions had been put in place to avoid undue disruptions to service delivery and day to day operations.