President Uhuru Kenyatta has revoked Kembi Gitura’s appointment to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) board.
In a gazette notice dated April 28, the head of state instead appointed Mary Mwadime as the chairperson of the board.
Her tenure, the notice says, will start on April 30 for a period of three years.
Gitura, the former Murang’a senator, was in March appointed as chair of the Communication Authority (CA) board for a period of three years effective April 18.
This was following a Sh7.8 billion scandal at Kemsa in which Gitura’s name was mentioned.
The agency is accused of having procured Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) at a double market price leading to a loss of billions with tenders said to have been awarded to companies, some linked to influential politicians, businessmen and brokers.
Read: KEMSA Board Chair Kembi Gitura Directed Embattled CEO To Ignore EACC Probe, Award Irregular Tenders
In an email communication to embattled Chief Executive Officer Jonah Manjari, Gitura directed the former to ignore the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) investigations and sign an irregular tender contract involving one of the companies at the centre of the scandal.
“My position is that EACC has absolutely no role to play in the execution of the contract and your letter aforesaid will only cause undue delay and was not in the least necessary to write,” Gitura told the CEO in an email dated July 27.
Members of Parliament sitting in the Public Investment Committee (PIC) that is chaired by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir raised concerns after Gitura was moved to CA.
Read Also: Fewer Tenders, Fewer Contractors As Kenyans Shy Off KEMSA Billions
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has also sent packing four members of the Kemsa board of directors.
The four are; Timothy Waema, Bibiana Njue, Joel Gesuka and Dorothy Aywak.
In their place will be; Captain Lawrence Wahome, Robert Nyarango, Terry Ramadhani and Linton Kinyua.
Their appointments take effect from April 30 for a period of three years.
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