Former State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards Health Principal Secretary Josephine Mburu claims she learned of her dismissal through the media.
She was sacked in May following a botched procurement procedure managed by the Ministry of Health that cost the country anti-Malaria nets valued at Sh3.7 billion donated by the Global Fund.
Appearing before the Senate’s Health Committee on Tuesday, Dr Mburu said that the dismissal caught her off guard.
“At first, I was shocked… when I was told I was sacked it caught me unaware. Everything that happened came as a shocker, everything that was said on the media came as a shocker,” she said.
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Dr Mburu asserted that she was not involved in the procurement process and that it had already started when she took office.
“I believe the staff advised me to the best of my ability, but I was not involved when the advert was put out, the head of malaria came in and told me there was an omission, the letter did not stop the process, it didn’t interfere with any process, and because KEMSA is not under Josephine they did not come back to me,” she said.
She also told the legislators that Medical Supplies department was under PS Peter Tum by the time of the bungled tender.
“KEMSA is under medical services where Tum was in charge. I have no control over whatever happens in KEMSA,” she continued.
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Asked whether funds were lost, Dr Mburu said the National Treasury was best placed to answer the query.
PS Tum is yet to account for his role in the alleged misappropriation. He has since been moved to the Ministry of Sports.
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