CS Nakhumicha Explains Her Influence In Ruto Firing PS Josephine Mburu

She added that the decision to terminate the PS was done after thorough consultations with the Head of State

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
May 16, 2023 - 09:14 Updated: May 16, 2023 - 09:14
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CS Nakhumicha Explains Her Influence In Ruto Firing PS Josephine Mburu
Side by side image of President William Ruto and Health CS, Susan Nakhumicha. /VIRALTEAKE

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha, on Monday, May 15 revealed that she played a huge part in President William Ruto terminating the appointment of Josephine Mburu as the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards.

Speaking hours after Mburu's firing, the CS noted that she had performed her role as the principal advisor of the President in the Ministry of Health as the Head of State himself was looking hard for a solution regarding the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) scandal on mosquito nets.

She added that the decision to terminate the PS was done after thorough consultations with the Head of State and that Ruto's demand for accountability had informed Mburu's sacking, whether the PS was involved in the matter which was yet to be established.

Dr Josephine Mburu was dismissed as Principal Secretary for Public Health on Monday, May 15, 2023. /CAPITAL GROUP

Nakhumicha had appeared to point an accusing finger at Mburu after revealing that her mandate was being the accounting officer for the ministry and was expected to have actively participated in the KEMSA tendering processes.

"I have been involved in the decision that has been made today. To the best of my knowledge, I have advised the President as his principal advisor.

"Specifically, I would not tell whether she was involved or not. Principal Secretaries are the accounting officers of the ministry. It is expected that in their day-to-day, they will interact with the institutions when it comes to such matters," she stated.

She further noted that Mburu's involvement in the scandal would be revealed once the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) completed its investigations.

CS Nakhumicha further assured Kenyans that she will do whatever it takes to sweep clean the health ministry and ensure that it is devoid of corruption, adding that she will do whatever it takes to ensure Kenyans get value for their money.

She also maintained that the government was yet to establish the amount of money lost, given that the tender was yet to be awarded.

Josephine Mburu was fired just five months after assuming office and became the first-ever accounting officer in Ruto's government to be terminated while in office. The action came just 24 hours after he declared that he would do whatever it takes to clean up the agency.

“Watch this space. I am doing something about it. You will see results.

"I want to give you my commitment I will clean up KEMSA, whatever it takes, whatever it costs, I will clean it up,” Ruto told journalists during a joint media interview at State House on Sunday, May 14.

Mburu took an oath of office on December 2, 2022, following her appointment by Ruto and spent just 163 days in office.

The Global Fund

The Global Fund was forced to cancel a Ksh3.7 billion mosquito nets tender owing to KEMSA's irregular procurement process.

The foreign agency had discovered irregularities on KEMSA's part during the procurement of the long-lasting insecticide mosquito nets, raising an issue with KEMSA's technical evaluation committee report, citing multiple procurement gaps, including lack of pagination, contention on request for a manufacturing certificate from a manufacturer, and lack of uniformity in identifying the winning and losing bids.

"The alleged maladministration on the part of KEMSA is with regard to the procurement of treated mosquito nets for those vulnerable households, which could have led to significant exposure to the disease and an increase in its severity in the endemic regions," Head of Public Service Felix Koskei stated while announcing Mburu's termination.

Ministry of Health's Afya House Building in Nairobi, Kenya. /MINISTRY OF HEALTH

This was the second time the donor was demanding a refund. In March 2023, in another audit, Global Fund revealed that Ksh40 million was misappropriated by health officials involved in an AIDS sensitisation program.

Global Fund is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with key contributors Billionaire Bill Gates and his former wife, Melinda Gates.

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