The former Health Principal Secretary Josephine Mburu has said she got into office after the procurement process for the Sh3.7 billion anti-mosquito net scandal at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KeMSA) had begun.
Appearing before the Senate Health Committee, chaired by Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago on June 6, Mburu said she was wrongfully fired and asked for a fair hearing.
“I was not involved in the process. The process had started, and I was told the new government had to continue the process. I believe the staff advised properly,” Mburu explained.
“It was a shocker [to me] when l watched it on television. l thank President Ruto for allowing me to serve and l would not challenge the president. But l want the truth to come out whether l had a role to play in this scandal so that Kenyans can judge me.”
“I cannot discuss the board of KEMSA or its operations because it was not in my ministry. KeMSA is not under me, it was under PS Tum. I have no control over what happened there. KeMSA is under medical services which was headed by former PS Tum who has now been transferred to another ministry,” she added.
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Mburu further clarified that she was not involved in the making of the advertisement that appeared in the media, adding that she was notified by one of her staff about an omission made, which she wrote a letter to rectify.
“l was not involved in the process when KeMSA put the mosquito net tendering advert in the public domain…that’s when the Head of Malaria program noticed the omissions. My letter to KeMSA concerning the omissions did not stop the tendering process as l was only giving clarity l did not stop it.”
The scandal led to President William Ruto sacking Dr Josephine Mburu as the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health’s State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards.