NA minority leader want Health CS to resign over procurement

Siaya

Sunday December, 24, 2023

KNA by Philip onyango 

National Assembly Minority leader, Opiyo Wandayi is calling for the resignation of the Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha following an alleged procurement of medical waste management equipment that will see the country lose millions of shillings.

According to Wandayi, top ministry of health officials, in connivance with their counterparts in the national treasury and the Council of Governors were presiding over the implementation of the second phase of the medical waste management project whose cost has been inflated by 60 percent.

 Addressing the media in Ugunja constituency, Siaya county today, Wandayi called for the immediate suspension of the deal, adding that the council of governors was not sufficiently consulted over the matter.

 “There is a very corrupt and unusual procurement deal currently underway, involving the national treasury, ministry of health and the council of governors whose net impact will be to defraud the people of Kenya, especially the counties of the much needed money,” he said.

Wandayi, who is also the Ugunja member of parliament and Orange Democratic Movement secretary for political affairs, said that the deal involves a Belgian company that has been contracted to supply counties with medical waste management equipment.

Under the deal, said the minority leader, the Belgian government was to provide funds to support the counties make preparations for the project while the ministry of health committed to construct housing and provide relevant infrastructure for the installation of the machines.

“To date, the ministry has not undertaken any such construction or provided any such infrastructure yet the equipment has already been delivered to five counties,” lamented the legislator.

Some of the counties that Wandayi said have received the equipment are Marsabit, Turkana, Taita Taveta, Wajir and Mandera while ten other counties, Trans Nzoia, Makueni, Kitui, Meru, Bomet, Vihiga, Migori, Narok, Nyamira and Kericho are next in line.

He said that the counties were likely to be stuck with equipment that will be idle yet the country will have to pay.

He called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to urgently move into Afya House and the National treasury to investigate the matter and save Kenyans from losing millions of shillings.

“The CS for health, Susan Nakhumicha must immediately, suspend the scandalous deal and step aside to pave way for thorough investigations,” he said adding that EACC must, without excuse, move in and establish whether all parties appended their signatures to the deal as required to a commercial contract.

He further challenged the council of governors to come clean about the involvement of some of its members.

The minority leader further called on the Belgian government, through its embassy in Nairobi to explain to Kenyans the whereabouts of the extra funds that were meant to support the counties that were part of the memorandum of understanding in the project. 

Courtesy; KNA