Counties dispute with drugs agency bad for Covid-19 war

The national government and the counties have yet again locked horns over the supply of pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals amid worrying shortages.

At the centre of the row is the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa), whose ability to deliver has been compromised by teething logistical issues and graft claims.

And now, a fresh demand by governors to seek liberty to source drugs and medical supplies from other entities has drawn the ire of Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and Kemsa officials.

A statement issued yesterday by Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya on procurement irregularities at Kemsa that saw three senior managers suspended prompted an immediate reaction from the drug agency board chairperson Kembi Gitura.

Gitura accused the governors of not being honest in the matter. He faulted the counties for saying they should be allowed to source for drugs and medical supplies from other entities to adequately respond to the Covid-19 pandemic yet they owe Kemsa Sh3 billion.

The governors had issued the demands just a day after Gitura’s board, in a special meeting, suspended Kemsa CEO Jonah Manjari alongside directors Eliud Muriithi (Commercial) and Charles Juma (Procurement) who are being probed over multi-billion shilling Covid-19 tender scandal.

The latest spat between Kemsa and the county governments isn’t surprising. With the past delays and other serious inefficiencies, the drugs supply agency is increasingly seen as a barrier rather than a facilitator. It is also disheartening that governors have become fond of lamentations yet they are powerful enough to influence policy and institute change.

It is unfortunate that these wrangles are happening at a time the Covid-19 crisis is hurting the country. There’s the urgency to secure lives. This is why failure by Kemsa to deliver is unacceptable. The counties too have leaking systems that have become an auction site for cronies of top officials.

These challenges are worrying but not insurmountable. We believe the taxpayer deserves value for money. If Kemsa is overwhelmed, let counties seek value from best suppliers in the market. There’s no harm in making the process competitive.

Indeed, county governments have opposed the amendments to the Kemsa Act by seeking redress at the High Court to challenge Section 3 of the aforementioned Act, which requires them to procure pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical supplies from the agency.

Just as CS Kagwe said, we urge authorities to create better standards by cleaning up the agency. This, however should not bar the government from roping in more suppliers to ensure the counties don’t grind to a halt because of institutional inadequacies at Kemsa. In any case, why should governors continue buying from where efficiency isn’t guaranteed?

At this point in time, however, we call on the government to ensure drugs are procured and supplied in a manner that inspires confidence. In the wake of the graft claims at Kemsa and past accountability queries involving Covid-19 funds, effort should be made to assure Kenyans that resources are not going into people’s pockets.  

In the past, we’ve seen well thought-out State programmes run into headwinds when the public begins to suspect foul play and the authorities make it even worse by failing to make the processes above-board.  

The counties and the ministry should improve their systems now. Rather than dismiss emerging queries as an attempt to politicise the corona fight, they should give an elaborate but convincing breakdown on the spending. Any tinge of doubts in the minds of Kenyans will only but compromise our healthcare.