Reports indicate that board members at the troubled Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) are intensifying their efforts to remove the authority’s chairman, Irungu Nyakera, due to his alleged involvement in mega financial scandals.
The group calling for the besieged chairman’s resignation believes that his prolonged tenure in office is damaging the agency’s reputation at a time when President William Ruto is working to implement significant changes that will improve the country.
Various sources within the organization, who spoke to us under the request of anonymity, corroborated this shocking scoop, originally reported by a local blog.
According to reports, the faction backing the besieged Nyakera favors dubious tender deals and other cunning operations within the cursed state agency.
KEMSA officials have instructed Deborah Barasa, the new Health Cabinet Secretary nominee, to closely monitor Nyakera’s dirty deals.
“His gesture of quickly congratulating Dr. Deborah upon her nomination appears to have been an attempt to ingratiate himself with her and potentially to curry favour as he struggles to mitigate his precarious position,” a senior official commented.
It is imperative to note that leadership changes are already taking place at KEMSA, with the board appointing Dulacha Waqo as the new Chief Executive Officer.
Waqo’s hiring has left many questions, given that he emerged as number three in the interviews while the acting CEO, Andrew Mulwa, came in at the top.
While Mulwa awaited confirmation, Waqo mobilized funds from the Somali community, raising Sh50 million, and presented it to the board. The Somalis are now eyeing multi-billion shilling tenders at KEMSA as payback from Waqo.
The move caused Nyakera to undervalue other board members.
For now, Waqo, the new CEO said to be out to regroup his fortunes, is out to micromanage happenings.
He openly complains that the chairman is a con man who even deceived Mulwa, claiming he would secure the slot.
The appointment letter indicates that Waqo will be in office for a four-year term, effective July 23, 2024.
Waqo holds a Bachelor of Medicine, a Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Nairobi, and a Masters of Public Health from the University of Melbourne.
Sources say the master’s degree is suspicious. In the 2022 general election, Waqo vied for the Saku parliamentary seat and lost to Dido Raso. People say Waqo’s arrogance led to his loss. For now, Waqo is under pressure to pay back money borrowed to land the slot.
However, the officials have learnt that some of President Ruto’s associates are advocating for significant adjustments at the corrupt KEMSA, urging the head of state to dismiss Nyakera due to his involvement in a complex corruption scheme.
Fresh allegations of Nyakera looting billions of shillings hidden in various offshore accounts in different countries, including Egypt, where he is allegedly a frequent guest, are the source of the pressure.
Some state handlers are concerned with how Nyakera has messed up the vital agency through dirty dealings and therefore should not survive the ongoing purge.
Nyakera is also linked to illicit appointments after it emerged that he unilaterally hired individuals into high-paying positions without following the necessary public advertisement or due process as mandated by both the law and KEMSA’s internal policies.
The appointment of two nominees, who are effectively acting as Nyakera’s personal assistants, is at the center of the controversy.
These two are reportedly drawing substantial salaries from KEMSA’s already strained financial resources, raising serious questions about the governance and ethical standards within the organisation.
“KEMSA did not advertise for the aforementioned positions.” Obviously, the appointments were illegal, according to a source.
Nyakera’s leadership, already tarnished by accusations of corruption and mismanagement, suffers a significant blow from this revelation.
Numerous scandals, including manipulated tender awards, suspected fraudulent dealings, and opaque financial management practices, have engulfed KEMSA.
This latest scandal only adds to the growing list of controversies surrounding Nyakera and his administration.
Nyakera is also under scrutiny for his alleged involvement in awarding lucrative tenders to companies associated with his political allies in Murang’a County.
These tenders, reportedly worth hundreds of millions of shillings, have further fuelled accusations of nepotism and corruption.
Anti-graft officers are already looking into these transactions, which could be a turning point in Nyakera’s tenure at KEMSA.
Concerns about KEMSA’s operations have been mounting for some time.
Sources within the organisation have raised alarms about the absence of an approved list of prequalified suppliers, which is a violation of procurement laws.
This issue has persisted during the tenure of acting CEO Mulwa, who was working in close collaboration with Nyakera.
Together, they are accused of making dubious deals and pushing through questionable procurement decisions that allowed corruption to thrive within KEMSA.
The illegal appointments scandal has intensified calls for accountability and transparency at KEMSA.
Stakeholders and the public alike are demanding decisive action from President Ruto to address the monumental corruption and mismanagement occurring within this critical institution.
Given KEMSA’s vital role in supplying essential medical supplies across Kenya, the stakes are incredibly high.
The ongoing corruption and mismanagement not only drain public resources but also undermine the country’s healthcare system, posing a severe threat to the well-being of millions of Kenyans.
The healthcare system in Kenya is already in crisis, with many citizens lacking access to necessary medical supplies and services.
This transformation of KEMSA into a vehicle for enriching connected elites only worsens the crisis.
Some have referred to the agency as a “vampire squid” that is syphoning off resources intended to serve the public.
The current situation is a matter of life and death, and the public is looking to the government to take swift and effective action to restore integrity and functionality to KEMSA.
The outcome of these investigations will be crucial in determining the future of KEMSA and the broader efforts to combat corruption in Kenya’s public institutions.
A contentious housing project is also haunting Nyakera.
His land-selling company, Sycamore Pine Limited, is under investigation as victims of the halted Samara Housing Project demand refunds.
The project revealed dishonest business practices and false assurances about investor money refunds.
In 2020, investors signed a deal with Sycamore Pine Limited, expecting a 4.5% commission for every unit sold, but the agreement collapsed when it was revealed that Sycamore lacked essential documentation for the Samara Estate Development project.
The project stalled in 2021 after Migaa Estate residents opposed high-rise apartments, leading to the termination of the agreement.
