Editor's Review

This is after the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC) finished a probe into the state agency and recommended the sacking of nearly half of the Kemsa staff.


More than half of the employees at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority are set to be relieved of their duties.

This is after the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC) finished a probe into the state agency and recommended the sacking of nearly half of the Kemsa staff.

According to reports, the layoffs will affect about 920 employees and termination letters were drafted on Monday, November 1, 2021.

The mass firing was informed by a request by the Ministry of Health to the State Corporations Advisory Committee. The committee is tasked with advising the government on the running of state parastatals.

Reports further indicate that SCAC met with the Ministry of Health a month ago, where the mass firing was discussed.

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During the meeting, it was recommended that there be a clean up of Kemsa and new employees brought in to run the state agency. 

The two agreed that more than half of the employees be laid off and their positions declared redundant by the government.

The graft scandals at the medical supplies authority raised concerns among donors who noted that the country risks losing billions if changes are not implemented at Kemsa.

Following the "Covid Billionaires" expose', donors turned down a request to inject an additional Ksh3.4 billion into the Covid-19 response.

Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino on Monday, November 1, wrote to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe seeking to know why employees such as cleaners were targetted in the layoffs.

“What are the steps the ministry is taking to ensure that those who will be affected by such irrational moves are fully compensated and allowed to continue with their normal lives,” Babu stated.

The MP further sought to know the procedure the Ministry was going to apply to lay off employees and what happens to those that have loans with financial institutions.

“The CS should explain whether his Ministry is prepared for the many court cases that will emanate from the move he has taken," Babu sought.