Passer-by who landed Sh180million Covid tender at Kemsa paid Sh90million more for PPE supply
La Miguela Holdings Limited, a firm styling itself as a fire safety and medical equipment dealer that hit headlines in 2020 during the Sh8billion Covid-19 billionaires probe into the expenditures how money was spent towards purchasing of the Covid related equipment was paid an additional Sh90milion less than a month before last year’s August 9 general elections, The Informer Media Group can authoritatively reveal.
According to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) payment schedule seen by us, La Miguela was paid in three installments each amounting to Sh30million for the supply of PPE kits.
Further, records at Kemsa shows the three payments were in favour of PPEs KITS supplies under Contract KEMSA/DP29/2021-2022 tabulated under service order numbers 832201, 832202 and 832203 respectively.
Our investigations revealed that on July 8, 2022, Kemsa, under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Terry Kiunge Ramadhani paid La Miguela Sh30million.
19 days later, on July 27, 2022, La Miguela received another Sh30million.
The final payment was made on September 30, 2022 of another Sh30million.
Although it was not possible to immediately establish if the items were indeed delivered and inspection report issued before the payments were made, when contacted for comment and confirmation, none of the three La Miguela Holdings Limited directors responded to our queries through mail and short text messages.
Also, their phones went unanswered.
Similarly, at Kemsa, the CEO was not available for comment either.
According to insider sources at Kemsa, they contend that no inventory shows delivery of such items.
“No such inventory exists unless it is imaginary generated. Also, the inspection report should indicate those who inspected and verified such deliveries.” Our source intimated.
According records seen by The Informer Media Group, Jane Wairimu Njoroge, Tom Mungai Ouma and James Njuguna Kuria are listed as the directors of La Miguela.
Both Njuguna and Wairimu and believed to be a couple hold 50 ordinary shares each while Mungai hold zero shares.
The firm in question was incorporated on March 21, 2014.
In 2020 December when he Appeared before the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee (PIC) probing the Kemsa Covid-19 expenditure, Njuguna amazed the committee when he submitted that he happened to be an “innocent passer-by” at authority headquarters where he spotted many people lining up and became curious as to what taking place.
“I went straight to the receptionist who advised me not to waste time and apply for the tenders which were being flaunted. I quickly penned off a two-sentence letter and after two hours I was told I had succeeded and asked to collect the commitment letter from the Chief executive officer’s office.” Njuguna submitted to the committee. He was responding to questions how his firm bagged the Sh180million tender to supply PPEs.
Njuguna said he secured the controversial tender by sheer luck having only supplied items worth Sh400,000 to Kemsa in the past.
