Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) have been put on the spot by the Parliamentary Committee on Implementation over missing Covid 19 million.
The committee in its report on Tuesday, February 27, indicated that they failed to honor an invitation to explain how the funds were used even after a special audit was done, therefore risking sanctions.
Although EACC and KRA sent representatives to appear before the committee, they were asked to step down. The committee insisted that their substantive heads ought to have appeared instead.
“Also expected but failed to turn up before the Hon. Raphael Wanjala (Budalangi)- led Committee was the Principal Secretary, State Department for Medical Services, Mr. Harry Kimtai.
“It is the feeling of Members that this meeting is not properly constituted. Due to the grave nature of the matter to be discussed, we wanted the PS, the EACC CEO and the KRA Director General to update the Committee on the status of investigations. The Country lost a colossal amount of money at the height of COVID-19”, Marakwet MP Timothy Kipchumba noted.
Commitee on Way Forward After KRA, DCI Bosses Miss Session
After asking the representatives to step down, the committee chairperson demanded that the invited heads honor the invitation on March 19, without fail or risk being sanctioned.
“People cannot be dancing on the graves of COVID-19 victims after stealing money. The former President had given these agencies 21 days to investigate this scandal in 2020, and we’re now in 2024.
“We have to get to the bottom of this matter. We want all these heads to appear before this Committee by March 19, failure to which we shall be forced to sanction them,” he warned.
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Additionally, the members wanted to further investigate the implementation of recommendations that had been made by the Public Investment Committee including the formation of a multi-agency team made up of the Office of Attorney General, Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, and Treasury under the leadership of the Ministry of Health.
The recommend was that the team investigates the whole procurement KN95 Face Masks and Surgical Masks between March and July 2020 and analyze the amount KEMSA suppliers were paid.
“The Committee had also recommended that all suppliers that may have supplied KEMSA at a price higher than that determined price(s), refund the Government of Kenya the excess payment made to them within a month of such price determination.
“PIC also wanted the EACC to investigate the KEMSA Board on the role it played during the procurement of the Covid-19 related items with a view to preferring charges against it either severally or individually for abdicating their responsibilities under Section 15(1) of the State Corporations Act,” added a statement from the committee.
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Covid KN95 Face Masks Scandal
In September 2021, the Public Investments Committee tabled a report before the National Assembly recommending the prosecution of former Senate Deputy Speaker Kembi Gitura and the entire board of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) over a Ksh790 million face mask scandal.
