EDITORIAL: Mobile clinics scandal must not be forgotten

Three years after this paper exposed a mega scandal about mobile clinics, earning the wrath of top government officials, the matter has returned to haunt the country. Then, the Health ministry had committed a whopping Sh800 million to purchase containers to be fitted with medical equipment and be supplied to informal settlements across counties. To date, the project remains a non-starter.

In the deal, a shadowy supplier was awarded the contract to supply 100 containers, which he bought at a cost Sh1.2 million each but sold to the government at Sh10 million apiece.

Thereon, Health ministry was to fix the medical equipment required at additional costs.

Moreover, the supplier had imported the containers and only brought them up to Mombasa port and thereafter, the Health ministry was to take over and transport them to the various destinations countrywide at its cost.

Just from these logistics, it was clearly an expensive venture.

But that is part of the story. The containers arrived and were never moved anywhere. It was only after the uproar that followed the Nation’s expose that the containers were taken and kept at National Youth Services yard at Miritini in Mombasa. That is where they are to date.

This week, the matter came up in Parliament again and with incredibly shocking revelations. Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache told Parliament that the ministry requires Sh336 million to run the clinics annually.

Even before that, it needs Sh330 million to transport the containers to the counties. If and when they are transported to the destinations, the ministry will require cash to hire some 400 personnel to manage the clinics.

Also, it will seek money to put up toilets and supply water. All these costs were never disclosed before.

Presently, the containers are rotting at the NYS yard where they were dumped.

Here is a terrible case of waste of public funds. Government was caused to pay huge sums of money for containers that have never been used. Yet the ministry does not appear bothered.

Unfortunately, nothing seems to happen to those involved in the scandal. The ministry has hurtled from one scandal to another but no one has been penalised for the transgressions.

Certainly, Health ministry is not the only culprit; scandals are pervasive across ministries, but that does not mean we condone impunity.

We will not tire of exposing them. Investigative agencies must move in and get those involved charged and penalised.

Ultimately, President Uhuru Kenyatta has to take drastic measures to end this perpetual loss of taxpayers’ cash.