KEMSA procurement director asked to step aside, staff reshuffled in new transformation bid

KEMSA board, during a turnaround status update on Tuesday, announced that,Gilbert Matati, the acting procurement director has been asked to step aside to independently respond to audit queries. 

This is after the board received a report of the internal audit of tenders instituted between July-December 2023. 

“We have revitalized the leadership of the procurement department by assigning treasury staff through secondment and conducting a comprehensive reshuffle of the existing team. Further, we are in the final stages of appointing a substantive Procurement Director,” it said in a statement on Wednesday. The approach, it stated, will ensure dynamic distribution throughout the supply chain and preventing prolonged tenure in a single position. 

At the procurement department, KEMSA has announced the implementation of a revamped supplier pre-qualification process, designed to foster competitive bidding and ensure maximum value for money.

In its strategic initiatives aimed at transforming the authority into a more proficient entity within the health sector, the Irungu Nyakera-led board has also reached a decision to conduct comprehensive reshuffles across departments. 

“The Board's assessment revealed a workforce grappling with demotivation and operational inefficiencies, significantly impeding the Authority's ability to fulfill its mandate,” KEMSA board noted, adding that it will also resolve all pending staff litigations. 

To enhance its e-procurement and e-warehousing operations, KEMSA has also engaged the University of Nairobi Enterprise Solutions (UNES) to develop an off the shelf ERP system to operations. 

The authority is also set to officially launch a Regional Distribution Center in Kisumu on March 6, 2024, and another in Mombasa by June 2024. 

The medical supplier also announced a re-organisation of its transport system, with new tenders expected to bring down the distribution costs from Ksh. 1 billion to Ksh.600 million.

“This is based on the new transport policy geared towards reducing distribution costs and improving efficiency of the Authority’s Last Mile Delivery,” KEMSA board stated. 

KEMSA also noted achievements in serving counties, including supply of mosquito nets, co-ordinating emergencies during El-nino rains and dispatching over Ksh.22.5 billion worth of essential medicines and medical supplies.