Wednesday, 23 April, 2025
PIC-SSAA grills KEMSA suppliers over dubious contract dates and emergency supply deliveries
Bunge Towers, Tuesday 22nd April 2025.
The Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture (PIC-SSAA), chaired by Hon. Emmanuel Wangwe (MP, Navakholo), has raised serious concerns over inconsistencies in documentation related to the procurement and delivery of medical supplies from Angelica Medical Supplies Limited to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
The issue came to light during a committee session examining the Report of the Auditor-General on the Audited Accounts of KEMSA for the Financial Years 2019/2020 to 2023/2024. During the hearing, Members of the Committee highlighted troubling discrepancies in delivery notes, contract dates, and acceptance letters.
“There’s a clear mismatch in the sequence of events,” noted Hon. Wangwe. “You cannot have goods delivered in April 2020, acceptance letters dated May, and then a contract signed two months later in June. It raises serious accountability questions.”
Documents reviewed by the committee revealed that some personal protective equipment (PPE) items were delivered in April 2020, yet the contracts authorizing their purchase were signed in June 2020. Acceptance letters were dated May 2020—creating confusion about the validity and legality of the procurement process.
Additionally, some goods were received but not verified promptly. “The government cannot give you any contract without documentation,” said Othaya constituency MP Hon. Michael Wainaina. “You present that document during tendering. If you later seek payment without a proper contract in place, who will be accountable?”
Of further concern to the committee was the delay in the delivery of items categorized as emergency goods. “Some supplies labelled as urgent were delivered two or three weeks late,” Hon. Owino pointed out. When questioned, the witness attributed the delays to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including lockdowns and reduced activity.
The committee has since requested all supporting documents to be submitted in full to enable a comprehensive review and ascertain the authenticity of the transactions.