At least 600 employees at Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) might lose their jobs due to a lack of proper qualifications.
Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Terry Ramadhani Kiunge says an audit report done in 2021 revealed that many employees were employed without the proper recruitments.
Kiunge noted that only 341 employees out of the 900 employees of the organisation met the eligibility standards in the various positions held.
“We have established that the authority is dealing with employees that have multiple contracts and promotions with just written notes,” she claimed while addressing a pharmacists’ conference in Kwale.
In November 2021, Kemsa decided to allow most of the 900 employees to work from home, while a few staff were sent on compulsory leave. A move that caused panic in the organization and thus prompted most employees to look for jobs elsewhere.
“It’s concerning to have a structure in place that does not optimise the Terms of Reference (TORs) of most of the employees of the institution,” she noted.
Kiunge has also noted that the lack of relevant qualities by a majority of the staff hinders the organisation from delivering on its mandate.
“We are focused on repositioning Kemsa, and this involves re-engineering a system that looks at a holistic approach to the perennial challenges that have made it a loss-making institution,” she said.
Interestingly to note, The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) has challenged the appointment of Kiunge, stating she is not qualified for the position.
“How can she be involved in developing the TOR for the CEO position, resigned and be interviewed for the same office?” an employee who sought anonymity posed and added, “for your information, this is conflict of interest”.
As part of the ongoing re-organization of the authority, Kiunge has been adamant that the board has proposed to create two directorates.
“We will create a Health Products and Technologies Directorate headed by a qualified pharmacist,” she said.
She further stated that the challenges in the organization hindered the institution from optimising its ability as per the Kemsa Act.
“Then you have a structure whereby the people responsible for the commodities are not necessarily responsible through the whole line, with the relevant technical capacity,” she said.