PART TWO: KEMSA bleeding from the breeding rot

In our second publication of a three-part series exposé, The Informer delves into the glaring cases of blatant disregard of government policies by the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Terry Ramadhani Kiunge ranging from irregular hiring of senior staff members, redeployments of employees and defying directives from the Ministry of Health and circular guidelines by the then Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.

In our initial segment published yesterday, The Informer exposed collusion by the Kemsa board members in the recruitment process of the CEO who chaired the board HR committee that kick-started her recruitment process and consequent appointment without making full disclosure of possible conflict of interest and an exercise the Public Service Commission (PSC) has since termed as “clear case of conflict of interest” according to PSC CEO Dr. Simon Rotich.

In the whole exercise, neither the Kemsa board chairperson nor any other member of the board expressed the apparent conflict of interest in interviewing their former colleague only less than a month after she resigned from the board contrary to code of governance of the State Corporations popularly known as Mwongozo.

According to documents in our possession, efforts by former Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache to have Ramadhani comply with official government circular in respect to redeployment of staff during transition period fell on deaf ears.

Some of the changes effected were, according to records seen by The Informer, undertaken in direct consultation with the board chairperson Mary Mwadime in exclusion of other board members at a precarious time during the Kemsa reform process after all staff members including subordinate staff were sent on compulsory leave.

Ramadhani did not only trash the correspondence from the then Ministry of Health Principal Secretary but further issued a subsequent letter of a Finance Senior Manger irregularly redeployed to Mombasa to work under her junior staff member.

“It has come to the attention of the Ministry that in your capacity as the Chief Executive Officer of Kemsa, you have recently taken action in respect of effecting payments and causing changes in the management of Human Resource which are apparently in contravention of the directives in the circular under reference.”

“In particular, it is noted that you have made significant deployment of staff during the transition period without consulting either the authority’s board of directors or the ministry- hence failing to follow due process besides disregarding the guidance by the Head of Public Service.” Mochache told Ramadhani vide correspondence REF: MOH/ADM/CONF/MEET/8 VOL.XI dated November 9, 2022.

On October 27, 2022, the CEO transferred Christine Nyambura Mwangi, a Senior Accountant stationed at Kemsa headquarters in Nairobi to Mombasa Regional Depot as an Administrator with immediate effect.

“You are hereby supposed to hand over your current duties and report to the Depot In-Charge immediately for further deployment/instructions. By copy of this letter, the Depot In-Charge is requested to inform this office when you reported for our further necessary action” Ramadhani told Nyambura through a letter Ref: PN0211 dated October 27, 2022.

Despite having received Mochache’s cautionary letter on compliance with circular on transition from fourth to fifth administration dated November 9, 2022, on November 15, 2022, Ramadhani sent another letter to Nyambura affirming her decision to have her redeployed to Mombasa.

“With reference to our letter of Ref: PN0211 dated October 27, 2022 transferring you from Kemsa Nairobi to Mombasa Regional Depot, please note that; by copy of this letter the Finance Manager is expected to allocate you duties accordingly.” Ramadhani says.

And through an Internal Memo dated November 11, 2022, the CEO approved recruitment of four advisors all domiciled under CEO’s office on Legal, Human Resource, Procurement and ICT matters.

All the four are ranked under job group SA4, a post of senior managers under the approved Kemsa’s organogram. However, the four advisors’ post are not included in the parastatal’s approved organogram.

Our investigations have established that Robert Ng’ang’a was hired as the Chief of Staff under CEO’s office on September 14, 2022 for a period of six months.

Carol Wanjiru was hired as the Principal Administration Officer on September 6, 2022 but reported on December 1, 2022 while one Abdul and Esther Some were hired as Security Advisor and Customer Relations Officer for a period of six months each.

“In light of the above scenario, the purpose of this communication is to caution you that in the event that there are any repercussions arising from your actions, you will be held personally responsible for such. Further, you are required to rescind your decisions and actions described herein and confirm action in your reply. Thereafter, please be advised to present such weighty matters to the board for deliberation as expected.” Mochache added.

In his circular dated September 19, 2022, Ref: No OP/CAB.26/4A/Vol.1(40) and addressed to the Attorney General, all Cabinet Secretaries and all Principal Secretaries, the former Head of Public Service said in fidelity to the growing constitutional tradition, all appointments and redeployments are frozen in the intervening period until after transition.

Kemsa management is yet to recall over 400 staff members who were sent on compulsory leave following the infamous Covid-19 procurement scandal.

Currently, spending Sh90million monthly; Sh45million on employees on compulsory leave who went to court and another Sh45million on more than 400 employees working from home.

They obtained court orders requiring the agency to pay them full salaries, allowances and benefits.

And in our Third and final publication of the Three Part Series exposé tomorrow, we bring you a detailed account and names of companies previously implicated in Sh8billion Covid-19 procurement flaws at Kemsa and pocketed another close to Sh1billion between May 2022 and December 2022.