Momentum to push Health CS Mutahi Kagwe to resign following revelations that he together with his PS Susan Mochache had directed KEMSA CEO to award tenders to their clonies leading to loss of billions of funds meant for COVID-19 pandemic.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary-General, Seth Panyako has asked Health CS Mutahi Kagwe to resign. Speaking in Kakamega on Sunday, Panyako asked President Uhuru to fire the Health CS and other top officials at the ministry, accusing them of wanton graft.
“Kagwe and Mochache should resign before Monday and if they don’t, President Uhuru should sack them before they do more damage at the ministry,” he added.
At the same time, Panyako said probe into how Kakamega County spent over Ksh.100M in fight against COVID-19 yet there are neither labs, nor reagents in the county should be kicked off.,
“We know, we want Oparanya to tell us how this money was used especially since there is no lab to test for coronavirus, there are no reagents yet the money was disbursed,” Panyako said.
The union boss has asked multaelatera; donors to pile pressure on Uhuru to support a credible probe on how donor funds were spend. Panyako’s sentiments come in the backdrop of claims that USAID and the Global Fund had threatened to stop aid to Kenya over allegations of graft.
The two key donors threatened to withdraw up to Ksh.400 billion earmarked for Kenya following the latest COVID-19 scandal linked to a government agency.
The Global Fund and USAID are threatening to withdraw funds that were to support HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria programs for the next three years.
They expressed concern over KEMSA’s procurement woes as well as management and implementation of the grants given to the institution.
The COVID-19 scandal has also created an internal crisis at the supplies agency: it stands to lose up to Ksh.2billion as it struggles to dispose of PPEs and other COVID-19 supplies.
Others who have called on CS Kagwe to resign include ANC MP Hon Ayub Savula among others
