Health CS Mutahi Kagwe at Ainamoi
Sub-County Hospital on August 10, 2020 when he toured the facility to
assess the county's preparedness on Covid-19. [Kipsang Joseph,Standard]
When he landed at Afya House in early March through a Cabinet reshuffle,
he cut the impression of a knight in a shining armour who would redeem
the institution’s rotten image, for once in its troubled history.
Before that, Afya House, or Mafia House as it had come to be known, was
the renowned citadel of graft cartels where well connected people minted
money without breaking a sweat.
The American Wall Street Journal had described him Kenya’s “unlikely
coronavirus hero” over his constant bulletins while Kenyans hailed him
for his firmness, honesty and demeanor.
Five months later, however, the curve of his honour has been flattened
by reports of graft in a key agency under his docket, with President
Uhuru Kenyatta directing immediate investigations.
And it all went down as Kagwe threatened to cleanse the place through numerous transfers and warnings.
“This building has got its fair share of criminals. Like any other
marketplace, there are a few mad cases in here. And we will unearth
them. As we move on, we will unearth them,” he said at the close of May.
By April, the signs were ominous. An initial spat with a senior Kenya
Medical Research Institute (Kemri) official betrayed the picture of a
bullish CS who was keen on having things his way. But given the
exigencies of the time, dealing with a novel virus and an anxious
nation, Kenyans let him be.
When the ministry presented a breakdown of Sh1.8 billion budget
featuring Sh4 million for tea, the uproar boomed all the way to Kagwe’s
sixth floor corner office. Undeterred, the media savvy man with years of
practice in public relations trade embraced the criticism while at the
same time denying it.
“As a Kenyan, I too have been disappointed by leaders who fail us for reasons that span inefficiency to corruption.
The allegations you are seeing are based on this trend: public
skepticism and pessimism. I get it,” he wrote in a long social media
rant.
He bemoaned an undisclosed “cohort” that he claimed believed in
exploitation and that thinks that by spreading lies, innuendo and
propaganda, he would be intimidated or make him lose the trust of those
who believe in him.
“They want us sidetracked. I am no greenhorn; I have seen such mischief
before, wasn’t intimated then and will not be intimidated now. Watch my
actions, they will illustrate this.”
He proceeded to describe the budget analysis as fake, promised
transparency while also swearing that there “will be no theft of
Covid-19 resources” under his watch. This would become the trademark of
Kagwe; admit, deny, blame, assure.
When civil society organisations like International Centre for Policy
for Conflict (ICPC) raised doubts on Kenya’s strategy against the virus,
calling it “blind and conflicted”, the MoH apparatus Kagwe commands,
dismissed the doubts with contempt.
Failed prevention
The ICPC had complained of internecine wars among MoH key institutions –
Kemri, National Influenza Centre (NIC) – as well as failure to involve
counties.
“The national government was until the end of June 2020 obsessed with
controlling and determining policy decisions with little or no
consultation and coordination with county governments. Health is a devolved function,” ICPC wrote.
They also complained of failed prevention and mitigation efforts, and
testing, which collapsed under the weight of disorganisation of the
ministry and forced the country to always test less a day than the
neighboring countries.
“The country is blindly fighting Covid-19. The national leadership has
not figured out the virus. Kenyans must get ready to live with it,” ICPC
Executive Director Ndung’u Wainaina said while releasing the report.
But Kagwe and his team trudged along, dismissing any criticism, until “Covid billionaires” exploded on live TV.
Again, Kagwe took to social media to address the allegations. In his
style, he accepted the reportage while also faulting it, and throwing
the challenge back at Kenyans.
“While it may have been marred by some inaccuracies (indeed we should
never risk compromising a story’s credibility on account of questionable
sources), the piece effectively offered you meaningful insights into
the magnitude of our challenge,” he tweeted.
“It pleases me that you now have a deeper understanding of why I am so
resolute about transforming the sector, and why I have implemented the
changes you are witnessing. As I’ve repeatedly said, Kenyans deserve
quality healthcare services and we must not allow its provision to be
compromised…certainly not by graft.”
His constant refrain, however, has been that corruption was being weaponised and politicised.
And then last week, the details emerged, which put Kagwe and his
Principal Secretary Susan Mochache in the spotlight. Emails tabled in
Parliament shows the PS giving clear directions to now-suspended Kemsa
Chief Executive Officer Jonah Manjari.
In a letter dated April 15, Mochache directed Manjari to procure
Covid-19 related items worth Sh758 million. In the letter not copied to
anyone, Mochache told the Kemsa boss to disregard any other directives
he had been given prior to this.
“This is to approve the procurement of goods worth Sh758,690,583.25 as
outlined in the attached annex. Disregard all other requests made in
relation to Covid as they have been captured under this approval,” reads
part of Mochache’s letter to Manjari.
Attached to the letter were annexures that showed the list of items to
be procured, the unit price, the quantity and names of suppliers.
Call for resignation
For instance, six companies were to be given the tender to supply N95
face masks, where one company was to supply 1,000 pieces at a cost of
Sh250 each while the another was to supply 10,000 pieces at a cost of
Sh900 each despite the fact that they were of the same quality.
In another letter dated May 4, Mochache directs Manjari on the
procurement and distribution of PCR tests and extraction kits and
transport media for Covid-19 at a cost of Sh88.9 million.
Later on May 11, Mochache instructs Manjari to procure Abbott real-time Sars-COV-2 test kits at a cost of Sh365.9 million.
On Friday, Manjari blamed Kagwe, Mochache and a member of the Covid-19
Emergency Response Board for pressurising the agency. Yesterday, Kenya
National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako demanded Kagwe’s
sacking.
Speaking in Kakamega, Panyako said sacking of the CS and other senior
officials in the Health ministry is the only way the president would
restore Kenyans’ confidence in his administration.
And in Machakos, Senator Boniface Kabaka urged Kagwe to resign with immediate effect if he was an honourable man.
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