KEMSA CEO On The Spot Over Tender Irregularities

Kenya Medical Supplies Authority(KEMSA) CEO Dr Andrew Mulwa has come under scrutiny for irregularities in hiring and tender awarding.

Appearing before the Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee, the CEO was out to task by Members of Parliament (MPs) who questioned why the supplies authority has minimal number of youths in its staffing department.

Only eight out of 562 staff fall in the bracket of youths meaning they have a workforce of relatively older people.

Tenders

The authority has also been criticized for bias in tender issuance with the youths sidelined contrary to the procurement regulations.

“The statistics before the Committee on employment and issuance of tenders to youths is a clear manifestation of discrimination against youths,” said Mandera West MP Adan Haji who chairs the committee adding that it is biased.

His sentiments were echoed by other MPs present including Fred Ikana, Jane Kagiri, and Eng. Paul Nzengu.

The MPs questioned why the tenders can’t be partitioned to accommodate the demands of the youths.

“KEMSA does not have interests of youths in issuance of tenders…they make it difficult for them to afford”, said Hon. Nzengu.

Dr. Mulwa told the committee that the youths lacked the capacity to supply . This was in reaction to a controversial Sh1 billion tender for supplying gloves.

Discrimination against People Living with disabilities

Laikipia MP Jane Kagiri highlighted that the documents presented to the Committee suggested favoritism in KEMSA’s tender allocation, with certain companies being picked over others.

Nakuru county MP Liza Chelule, on her part, expressed concerns over the exclusion of People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) in employment opportunities.

She pointed out that the Authority had a very low representation of PLWDs and that they were not considered in the last recruitment exercises.

“KEMSA has a representation of only 2.1 percent of PLWDs. No PLWD has been employed in the last three recruitments,” said Chelule.

Dr. Mulwa responded to the claims and stated that the Authority has put in place measures to deal with the situation.

He emphasized their commitment to complying with the law, which requires agencies to ensure inclusivity and equal opportunities for all Kenyan communities.