This archive report was first published on 5 November 2021.
Kenya: Kemsa Staff Directed to Work From Home as Reforms Get Underway ¶
On Thursday, the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) Board directed all staff to work from home to facilitate the reforms. The move is aimed at addressing the challenges facing the institution, including a financial crisis, supply chain crisis, warehousing and distribution chaos, and procurement chaos.
The reforms are part of a broader effort to position KEMSA as an effective player in the local healthcare system. According to KEMSA Board Chairperson Mary Chao Mwadime, the institution is a strategic State Corporation mandated to undertake roles and responsibilities to ensure supply chain excellence for Health Products and Technologies (HPTs).
As of April 28th, 2021, the Board was appointed vide a Gazette Notice and inaugurated early May 2021. Following the inauguration, the Board immediately commenced a process to institute an organisational rejuvenation strategy. The formulation of this strategy has been widely consultative internally and externally.
A multi-agency Taskforce was formed in early July to provide an independent operating recovery strategy for KEMSA. The Taskforce, known as the KEMSA Immediate Action Plan and Medium-Term Reforms Working Committee (KIAPRWC), comprised a panel of local public service administration experts backed by international counterparts drawn from the World Bank and the Africa Resource Centre.
The Committee has now completed its assignment and has provided a detailed report to the Board. The report has revealed challenges in critical functions within the Authority that deserve to be expeditiously addressed. The challenges identified in the report confirm that KEMSA is currently grossly underperforming and largely unable to meet clients' urgent needs, particularly the delivery of essential Medicines and Products to the Counties, Referral Hospitals and Programs.
The Board holds that these challenges will require further review of KEMSA around three key areas: structure, governance, and processes. As the review gets underway, the Board has issued General Notice Letters to all staff working with KEMSA, directing all non-core staff members to work from home with immediate effect.
The Board confirms that the necessary interventions have been put in place to avoid undue disruptions to service delivery and day to day operations. Attendant sensitivity and empathy will be maintained as the Board is committed to ensuring a smooth review.
"Ultimately, I am encouraged that the KEMSA staff, management, and other operating partners have expressed a commitment to supporting the envisaged reforms. These reforms will provide the foundation for achieving the Big Four Health Goals, including the realisation of President Uhuru Kenyatta's much cherished UHC programme," said Mwadime.
