Senate probes planned restructuring at Kemsa

KEMSA Office in Nairobi on September 16, 2021. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

A Senate committee is investigating the planned restructuring at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) that could see 900 workers lose their jobs.

Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina yesterday sought a statement from the Labour and Social Welfare Committee chaired by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja on the looming mass layoff.

While tabling the request, Ledama said that the committee should establish why “the government wants to sack more than 900 staff of Kemsa in the pretext of restructuring.”

Also of concern is the legal basis of the move, the criteria used to identify those to be laid off and the compensation to be awarded to them.

“This (Thursday) morning, the board of Kemsa sent all employees to one month off… the plan is that once the 30 days are up then all 900 Kemsa staff will be fired,” said Ledama.

“The committee should state the progress made by Kemsa in the implementation of resolutions by Parliament following the probe conducted on the agency by the Senate and the National Assembly,” added the Narok senator.

Senators questioned the motive behind the restructuring at Kemsa.

“This is a cover-up of very powerful individuals and their families from being investigated for the fraud in Kemsa… ordinary Kenyans are jailed for stealing but when it comes to powerful people you send people packing and send in the KDF (Kenya Defence Forces) and the NYS (National Youth Service),” said Minority Whip Mutula Kilonzo Jr, sentiments echoed by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei.

“This Kemsa wants to protect powerful cartels within the sector especially at the Ministry of Health… it is very unfortunate that 900 ordinary employees at Kemsa are being sacrificed at the altar of protection of powerful individuals within the government and Kemsa,” said the Nandi Senator.?