25 civil society groups demand presidential address on anti-graft measures » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 23 – A consortium of twenty-five civil society organisations now want a presidential address on the allegations of corruption amid reports of misappropriation of COVID-19 funds and donated supplies.

In a latest demand letter issued on Saturday, the civil society actors also asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to announce transparency and accountability measures to be undertaken to safeguard public resources and bring those implicated to account.

The organisations led by Transparency International said the report will keep the government accountable on how the management of COVID-19 funds which has caused uproar across the country following reports of embezzlement at the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA).

“We ask President Uhuru Kenyatta to urgently address the nation on the allegations of corruption and announce transparency and accountability measures to be undertaken to safeguard public resources and bring those implicated to account,” the lobby groups stated in a joint communique.

The civil society groups also demanded for a national COVID-19 response report by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.

“The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health, to provide a full report on County preparedness to respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic in terms of availability of ‘Functional‘ bed capacity, availability of Oxygen supplies, PPEs and medical professionals available to provide health services to the public,” the TI-led agencies demanded.

The civil society groups also want Kagwe to provide a report on what the government has done to assess and address the occupational health and safety of medical practitioners.

This comes against the backdrop of an investigative media exposé which revealed how a large consignment of donations including masks and ventilators from Chinese billionaire Jack Ma was diverted and sold to a private entity in a neighboring country once it arrived in the country.

The Senate Ad Hoc committee on COVID-19 Situation in Kenya had given Auditor General Nancy Gathungu and Controller of Budget Margret Nyakang’o until September 4 to submit their respective reports on the utilization of public funds towards the COVID-19 interventions.

The committee’s chairperson Mbito Michael Malinga further summoned the KEMSA board to give their account on the graft allegations at the agency. 

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe during an appearance before the National Assembly Health Committee, termed corruption allegations as ‘theories and innuendos that are just fiction’.