Thread by @mmnjug

The UN-backed @GlobalFund has revealed fresh rot at @Kemsa_Kenya after it found out that 908,000 mosquito nets, 1.1M condoms and tuberculosis drugs worth Sh10M had disappeared from its warehouse. - @BD_Africa

.@GlobalFund, which finances the fight against HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, has also raised the red flag over suspected fake suppliers demanding Sh1.66B from Kemsa.

The lost medicines are believed to have been stolen and resold on the black market and to private chemists, shining a spotlight once again on @Kemsa_Kenya over its graft record.

Kemsa is also accused of overstating the value of medicines by Sh640 million, with some types of drugs having been inflated 100 times, says an audit by Global Fund.

Some of the drugs, which were bought by cash from Global Fund, expired amid a shortfall in government hospitals. The revelations come as Kemsa battles to clean its image after the State agency was engulfed in tender fraud over the procurement of Covid-19 medical supplies in 2020.

An anti-graft agency cited irregular expenditure of Sh7.8B following tenders allegedly given to politically connected individuals and businesses.

Now, Global Fund’s anti-graft unit — the Office of Inspector General (OIG)— has recommended further investigation of Kemsa in a move that could put its Sh50.6B funding to Kenya at risk.

Since 2003, the Global Fund has disbursed over Kes159.6B to Kenya to help fight HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, malaria, and most recently the Covid-19 pandemic.

.@Kemsa_Kenya has poor internal controls on warehousing, inventory management, resulting in 16% differences in batch numbers verified, and discrepancies of 908K long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) between actual and expected stock balances. - @GlobalFund’s report.

We identified 165 long outstanding/undelivered local purchase orders (LPOs) valued at Kes1.66B. The high number of LPOs without an attached delivery notes poses the risk of fake suppliers or diverted procurements. - Global Fund

The @GlobalFund audit also revealed missing contraceptives, with the stock of condoms found to be 1.1M less than expected.

The Global Fund report also accuses @Kemsa_Kenya of lacking the ability to monitor the distribution of its drugs and commodities, making it vulnerable to theft and leaving health centres without lifesaving medicines.

.@Kemsa_Kenya Nairobi warehouse was overcrowded with commodities during our visit, making it difficult to trace commodities. For example, in a physical sample count, Kemsa could not locate three of eight batches of TB medicines (worth $91,000 of a total $570,000). - Global Fund

The inconsistencies in Kemsa’s information system included unexplained adjustments amounting to Kes62M.

This was in addition to adjustments of Kes640M due to anomalies in commodity unit prices: prices for expired drugs were overstated by 100 times.

The @GlobalFund, whose principal donors are the US, France, Germany and Japan, is strengthening financial safeguards following corruption claims.

@Kemsa_Kenya did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Global Fund audit.
“The authority will respond shortly,” a Kemsa spokesperson said on the phone when reached for comment.

.@Kemsa_Kenya was in 2020 embroiled in a Covid-19 kits procurement scandal said to have led to losses estimated at billions of shillings, prompting President Uhuru to order the disbandment of its board and top management.

#CovidMillionaires
#Covid19Millionaires

Mary Chao Mwadime took over as chairperson from Kembi Gitura, who was moved to the Communications Authority (CA) on March 17, 2021.

.@MOH_Kenya CS Mutahi Kagwe also appointed Lawrence Wahome, Robert Nyarango, Terry Kiunge Ramadhani and Linton Nyaga Kinyua to the board.

Despite the reforms, the @GlobalFund report portrays the agency as ineffective in its procurement systems.
The report also reveals the shame of idle billions meant to help in the Covid-19 fight, saying the utilisation of its funds has been low.

Eight months after the first Covid-19 funds were awarded (31 December 2020), only 15% had been utilised, rising to 17% by 31 March 2021. Its 2021 total Covid war chest awarded to Kenya amounted to Kes15.8B.

AGAIN: The @GlobalFund has exposed more rot at @Kemsa_Kenya where mosquito nets, condoms and essential TB drugs have disappeared from the supplier warehouses....

You cannot even make this stuff up anymore!

bit.ly/3KOQGde via @BD_Africa