President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed Mary Chao Mwadime as new chairperson of the KEMSA board. Mary will serve for a period of three years. The appointment comes after the revoking of Kembi Gitura’s name as chairperson amidst investigations into the KEMSA scandal.
The changes at KEMSA also sees the sacking of the whole board of Timothy mwololo, Bibiana Njue , Joel Onsare and Dorothy Atieno.
In a gazette notice , Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has appointed Captain Lawrence Wahome , Robert Nyarango ,Terry Ramadhani and Linton Kinyua.
Meanwhile no conviction has been achieved in the KEMSA scandal following alleged irregular tendering of COVID 16 supplies . Former CEO Jonah Manjari was suspended together with other top officials but none has appeared before the court to answer any charges.
Manjari appeared before the health committees of parliament and initially blamed the health PS Susan Mochache for the procurement mess but later recanted his statement .
Former chair Kembi Gitura was later appointed as the CAK board chair.
Meanwhile David Murathe has appeared before the parliamentary committee to explain his role in the Sh7.8 billion Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) Covid-19 supplies now under inquiry.
The National Assembly Public Investments Committee (PIC) said Mr Murathe must appear before it to explain his role in the Kemsa supplies in which Kilig Limited, a firm has been linked to him, got a Sh4 billion tender to supply personal protective equipment (PPE)
Mr Murathe, Mr Wilbroad Gatei and Mr Chan Chao, a Chinese national, were expected to appear before the Abdulswamad Nassir-led committee on Thursday 22nd but instead, all of them filed an affidavit each detailing their role in the Kilig tender.
The MPs said Mr Murathe’s affidavit admitting that he was a signatory to Kilig’s account at Equity Bank is a clear testimony that he used his closeness to power to influence the issuance of commitment letter to the little known Kilig Limited.
Wajir East Rashid Amin said the committee had been looking for big fish behind the Kemsa scandal and now they have found one.
“This is total ridicule to the committee. Sh4 billion of Kenyan money is not just money for tea. Mr Murathe used his closeness to the executive to influence tender worth Sh4 billion because the Chinese do not know Kenya or Kemsa,” he said.