KEMSA Suspicious Deals Resurface Amid Rising Public Outcry

KEMSA is once again under fire—this time over questionable deals that happened during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawmakers have exposed disturbing contract discrepancies, delivery dates, and official letters tied to a local supplier.

The saga reveals how billions in public funds may have been mishandled while Kenyans suffered in hospitals lacking basic medical supplies.

KEMSA’s credibility continues to erode as the heat turns up, and public frustration grows. Will this be another scandal swept under the rug, or will heads finally roll?

KEMSA Under Fire Again Over Suspicious Deals

The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) is under intense scrutiny after shocking findings emerged during a parliamentary review of its audited financial accounts from 2019/2020 to 2023/2024.

The revelations were made public during a session of the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration, and Agriculture (PIC-SSAA).

Lawmakers grilled KEMSA officials after uncovering alarming inconsistencies in procurement documents involving a local firm contracted to supply medical items during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of Parliament were particularly disturbed by evidence that medical goods were delivered to KEMSA before the contracts had been officially signed.

Acceptance letters were also backdated to fit the deliveries, painting a grim picture of how public procurement rules may have been blatantly ignored.

Committee Chair Emmanuel Wangwe did not mince his words. “There’s a clear mismatch in the sequence of events. You cannot have goods delivered in April 2020, acceptance letters dated May, and then a contract signed two months later in June. It raises serious accountability questions.”

KEMSA has long been accused of operating with impunity. And now, once again, it finds itself in a familiar storm—this time tied to the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, where emergency procurement appears to have been exploited for personal or political gain.

MPs Question Contractless Deliveries and Delayed Verifications

The most glaring concern was the early delivery of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and other medical items without valid contracts. Lawmakers questioned how KEMSA received and accepted goods without any documentation backing the procurement.

Othaya MP Michael Wainaina demanded accountability: “The government cannot give you any contract without documentation. You present that document during tendering. If you later seek payment without a proper contract in place, who will be accountable?”

This practice not only violates public procurement laws but also puts the taxpayer at risk of paying inflated or unauthorized costs. The committee was shown documents where deliveries were made months before any legal agreement was signed.

To make matters worse, the acceptance letters appeared to have been hastily created to justify the deliveries after the fact.

The implications are serious. Without contracts in place, there is no legal basis for KEMSA to demand delivery, verify goods, or make payments. This opens the door to ghost supplies, inflated prices, and possible kickbacks.

Adding to the chaos, some goods were received but not verified in time, exposing major loopholes in KEMSA’s internal systems. Delayed verification means no one can confirm whether the items delivered matched the required specifications or were even delivered at all.

KEMSA Shifts Blame to COVID-19 and Promises Reforms

In its defense, KEMSA says the irregularities are from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that saw widespread disruption of supply chains.

A source within the authority claimed that lockdowns and emergency procurement needs led to fast-tracked decisions and delayed paperwork. But that excuse no longer holds water.

It’s been years since the height of the pandemic, and yet no clear action has been taken to punish those responsible for the bungled deals. Meanwhile, KEMSA continues to receive billions from the public purse.

The agency now says it has a new board and stricter oversight mechanisms. These measures, it claims, will prevent a repeat of such irregularities. But Kenyans have heard this story before—every scandal is followed by apologies, new appointments, and vague reform promises.

The committee has demanded all supporting documentation to verify the authenticity of the procurement process. Until then, public confidence in KEMSA remains dangerously low.

KEMSA Suspicious Deals Show Systemic Rot

This is not the first time KEMSA has made headlines for the wrong reasons. The agency has a dark history of financial mismanagement, questionable tenders, and unexplained payments.

What makes this case more troubling is its timing. The COVID-19 pandemic was a national crisis. Lives were lost, hospitals were overwhelmed, and frontline workers lacked proper equipment.

It was a time when every cent mattered. Instead of stepping up, KEMSA may have used the crisis to enrich a few individuals while ordinary Kenyans paid the price.

This scandal isn’t just about paperwork and delays. It’s about broken trust. It’s about an agency that was supposed to protect public health but ended up exploiting it.

KEMSA’s suspicious deals reveal a deep culture of impunity in public procurement. And unless real accountability is enforced, such scandals will keep recurring.