Nyakera: Cleaning up Kemsa won’t be easy, God help me
Newly appointed chairperson of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa), Irungu Nyakera, has admitted that the mess at Kemsa will require God’s intervention for him to succeed.
Reacting to his appointment, Mr Nyakera thanked President William Ruto for appointing him and assured him that he will deliver.
“The agency has been riddled with graft for the past few years and I thank His Excellency President William Ruto for believing in me to take Kemsa out of the mess. We will clean up the mess, I can assure Kenyans. It won’t be easy, so help me God,” said Mr Nyakera.
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In a presidential message signed by his Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Kosgei, the President disbanded the entire board of the authority over a Sh4 billion mosquito net supply scandal.
Kemsa CEO Terry Ramadhani was also suspended and replaced by Dr Andrew Mutava in an acting basis.
The suspended Kemsa CEO, a professional management services and corporate reengineering expert, has been in the job for barely a year, a position she won after a competitive recruitment exercise by the board. She took over from acting CEO John Kabuchi last year.
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When she took over, Ms Ramadhani promised to clean up the mess at Kemsa, which is still under investigation following the disappearance of millions during the Covid-19 era.
“I have taken over as CEO of Kemsa and I am aware of the immense duty and responsibility that lies ahead. I intend to accelerate the pace of reform through a consultative, results-oriented management approach with all our stakeholders, from staff to shareholders,” she said at the time.
The President also suspended the staff of the Ministry of Health’s National Malaria Programme and Kemsa, including Martin Wamwea, Lenson Kariuki, Dr Pauline Duya, Livingstone Njuguna, Dr Charles Kariuki Chege, Justus Kinoti, Cosmas Rotich and Anthony Chege.
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