This archive report was first published on 22 October 2021.
Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) is holding personal protective equipment (PPE) worth Sh790 million that has expired, a parliamentary committee heard on October 21, 2021.
The expired PPE is part of the Sh5.4 billion-worth of equipment that Kemsa procured during the Covid-19 pandemic, but which have remained at its stores to date.
Acting CEO Edward Njoroge told the National Assembly Committee on Health that the items expired while Kemsa was waiting for approval from the Cabinet to dispose of them at the current market prices.
"After getting Cabinet approval to dispose of the PPEs, we found out that items worth Sh790 million had expired. But we are doing an assessment to see if some of the items can still be used," said Mr Njoroge.
The agency procured the consignment at a higher price due to high demand when Kenya first recorded positive Covid-19 cases in March 2020.
For example, Kemsa procured N95 (1860) masks at Sh1,300 apiece against the market price of Sh700, and ordered 5,000 pieces.
It also bought KN95 masks at Sh700 each against the market price of Sh450, and was supplied with 1,836,400 masks, while disposable masks were bought for Sh90 a piece against the market price of Sh50.
The purchase of the PPE is being investigated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
So far, Kemsa has paid Sh4.7 billion to Covid-19 billionaires, while it still owes some suppliers Sh2.9 billion.
Mr Njoroge confirmed that Kemsa had already started selling the items and had already sold equipment worth Sh180 million. It has also engaged 35 counties which have ordered the items.
