Kagwe: There will be no theft of Covid-19 resources under my watch
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Thursday night addressed some of the issues bedeviling his ministry and eroding public confidence in his office and the fight against Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
Kagwe termed reports of abuse of Covid-19 funds as propaganda meant to intimidate him.
He assured Kenyans that no funds meant for Covid-19 mitigation will be stolen during hs tenure.
“There will be no theft of Covid-19 resources under my watch and if there is any truth regarding the misuse of Covid-19 funds, beyond being disheartened, I guarantee you that those responsible will be out of the ministry faster than we can blink,” he stated.
In an uncharacteristic long statement on his Facebook page, the CS assured Kenyans that he was still focused on saving lives in the most efficient way and containing the spread of the virus.
“As a Kenyan, I too have been disappointed by leaders who fail us for reasons that span inefficiency to corruption. The allegations you are seeing are based on this trend: public skepticism and pessimism. I get it,” He said in the post.
He further said that he will not be intimidated by unnamed individuals in the health ministry who believe in exploitation and intent on messing his trust with Kenyans.
“And so I am here to let you know that among us is a cohort that believes in exploitation and that thinks that by spreading lies, innuendo and propaganda, I will not be intimidated and worse, lose the trust of you – the Kenyan – who believes in our cause and my integrity,” he wrote.
The health CS warned that he would not be sidetracked by mischievous people, whom he did not name, who wanted to spread propaganda on the fight.
“I am no greenhorn; I have seen such mischief before, I wasn’t intimated then and will not be intimidated now. Watch my actions, they will illustrate this,” he affirmed.
He further warned that he would sack anyone linked to misuse of any ministry funds pledging to Kenyans that he would sanitise the healthcare system.
Kagwe, who has been largely praised for his effective communication and hands-on approach in tackling the pandemic, has recently found himself on the receiving end after questions were raised on the expenditure of a Sh1 billion donated by World Bank to fight Covid-19 in the country.
Read: Health officials cleverly dodge questions on expenditure