KEMSA CEO Reveals Government’s Ksh3.7B Mosquito Net Tender Loss
Andrew Mutava Mulwa, acting chief executive officer of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), described in detail how the government lost a Ksh3.7 billion mosquito net tender.
Mulwa appeared before the Senate Health Committee to clear his name regarding his involvement in the deal that resulted in the cancellation of an initial tender to distribute 12 million Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) by the Global Fund.
The KEMSA CEO, who also served as acting Director of the Directorate of Medical Services, Preventive and Promotive Health, exonerated himself of any wrongdoing during the multibillion-dollar deal’s bidding process.
In extensive documents obtained by GossipA2Z, Mulwa revealed the conversations between his former office’s Directorate of Medical Services, the Division of the National Malaria Program, and the State Department of Public Health.
On October 12, 2022, the CEO reported receiving a letter from the Malaria Division Program informing his office that Global Fund was willing to assist Kenya in acquiring LLINs and that he was required to forward the procurement memo to the Principal Secretary (PS) for Health.
According to his testimony before the Senate Health Committee, Mulwa followed instructions and sent the letter on the same day, which was then forwarded to the National Treasury on October 22, 2023.
The Malaria Division responded to Mulwa on February 20, 2023, noting that LLIN specifications were inconsistent.
“I was informed by the then-head of the Malaria Program that the type of impregnation was missing from the LLINS procurement as advertised by KEMSA, and that he believed it should have been included in the bid,” the statement read in part.
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The CEO noted that he subsequently advised the head of the Malaria program to communicate this information to the PS via the established channel.
Mulwa told the team led by Mandago that following the conversation, he was no longer included in communications between the Malaria division, KEMSA, and the PS for Public Health.
“On or around February 23, 2023, I learned through newspapers and the National Treasury that KEMSA and PS Public Health had issued a request for proposals for the LLINS system.
“I later learned that the PS had acted on a directive from the head of the Malaria program, which was not processed through the Department Head or my office,” he told the Senate.
Two months later, in April 2023, due to inconsistencies in the procurement procedure, Global Fund canceled the bid.
While KEMSA approved five companies for the multibillion-dollar contract, Global Fund investigations revealed that they were not qualified and that two qualified companies were overlooked.
“The Global Fund review of the five proposals deemed responsive by the Tender Evaluation Committee did not yield the same result,” the international organization noted.
Following the cancellation, on Monday, May 15, President William Ruto revoked Josephine Mburu’s appointment as PS for Public Health and dissolved the entire KEMSA board.
Ruto simultaneously appointed Mulwa as the new KEMSA CEO and revoked Terry Ramadhani’s appointment.
KEMSA CEO Reveals Government’s Ksh3.7B Mosquito Net Tender Loss
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