Procurement News –Kenya Medical Supplies Authority KEMSA has expired drugs worth sh 150 million.
On the same note, the local drugs agency has been found bringing into the country drugs whose expiry dates is nearing.
KEMSA Chief Executive Officer CEO Andrew Mulwa, while being grilled in Parliament on Tuesday September 5, confirmed that their agency has expired drugs in its stock the year ending June 2023.
The Public Investments Committee on Social Services Administration and Agriculture put the officer on spot to explain how the drugs authority carries out its functions and why it doesn’t observe procurement and safety standards.
News about this abnormality was first put in the public by office of the Auditor General AG which prepared and came up with the disturbing report.
The sh 150 million drugs stock, according to the AG findings, was rendered unsafe in the financial year 2017/2018.
In the same report, the Auditor accused KEMSA of purchasing more drugs from outside whose expiry date was approaching.
In another twist of events, KEMSA could not also confirm the accuracy and validity of the net sales of sh 7 million for the period under review.
Seeking to understand where the expired drugs were, Navakholo Member of Parliament MP Emanuel Wangwe asked the KEMSA boss to explain their plans with the expired drugs and whether they will be destroyed and, further, when this will be done.
While defending self, Mulwa attributed the damages and losses to the change of governance structure in the country.
KEMSA officials are required to appear before the committee again for further inquiries later in September.
