This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's recent decision to award a tender for 500 hospital beds to a group of youth innovators from Githunguri in Kiambu County has sparked widespread outrage in Kenya.
The move has left many questioning the fairness of the process, particularly after Meshack Otieno from Juja, who had gone viral on social media for his innovative bed design, was seemingly overlooked.
According to reports, the President gave the order to the youthful innovators group led by Mungai Gathogo and Joseph, despite Meshack's viral social media appearance showcasing his bed-making skills.
Meshack Otieno, the Juja-based artisan, has spoken out about the situation, stating, 'I have not been given an order by anybody. Yes, I do work with seven guys but today we are only fours of us and we have not been visited by any government official.'
He added, 'If the government has given out an order it's okay and we commend it for doing that. However, I am actually the one who went viral on social media, I am the one who was eating on one of the beds illustrating how it works, I too should be considered and be given an order even if it means we divide the order, it's okay, at least we all shall have received something out of it.'
