NYS Takes Over KEMSA, All Staff Sent Home

The National Youth Service is set to take over operations at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) on a caretaker basis.

The announcement was made on Thursday, November 4, 2021, by KEMSA Chairperson Mary Chao Mwadime.

She proceeded to direct all non-core staff at the state agency to proceed on a 30-day leave as restructuring of the parastatal takes place.

According to reports, operations at KEMSA during this period will be run by a small team comprising core employees and other government agencies.

The authority will then evaluate the employees on the 30-day break and file their appraisal reports within the said period.

The KEMSA boss noted that necessary measures have been put in place to prevent disruption of service delivery and other day to day operations.

According to a review conducted on KEMSA, the state agency will be restructured along the following areas;

1. Structure - The organisation structure establishes the degree to which it is constrained in achieving the strategic objectives.

2. Governance - To determine the best-fit approach to leadership and oversight across the organisation.

3. Processes - To determine gaps in the organisation processes, procedures and technology.

Mwadime assured total cooperation to ensure all the challenges at KEMSA are addressed.

"This commitment includes aligning the organisational structure to industry-accepted standards for a health commodities and technologies procurement organisation," she said.

"It also calls for the introduction of global best practices, which include: acceptable span of control, transparent reporting relationships and command structures, compounding related functions for strengthened accountability and a re-determination of optimal staffing levels and norms."