Kenyans have expressed outrage and
shock at the news that Sh5 billion
was looted by top Ministry of Health
officials through manipulation of the
Integrated Financial Management
System, diversion of funds, and
double payment for goods.
This follows a leaked internal audit
report that showed the theft— five
times the infamous Sh791 million
National Youth Service scandal— also
involved payments of millions of
shillings to phony suppliers in the
financial year (2015/2016).
(READ: Revealed: Taxpayers lose
Sh5bn in NYS-style Afya House theft )
More anger was expressed on online
platforms such as Twitter over Health
Principal Secretary Nicholas
Muraguri’s threats to a Business
Daily journalist for doing the story
on the graft in Afya House.
Mugambi M’Mutegi @PeterMutegi
tweeted: “The Ministry of Health Sh5
billion scandal on the cover of
today’s @BD_Africa makes the NYS
one look like child’s play.”
Another, Felista Wangari
@FelistaWangari shared the link of
the story online and said: “The story
the Ministry of Health doesn’t want
Kenyans to read: Taxpayers lose
Sh5bn in NYS-style Afya House theft”
Ory Okolloh Mwangi, who tweets as
@kenyanpundit, said: “PS Muraguri
had threatened the author of the
Ministry of Health theft story.”
The Nation reached out to Dr
Muraguri, who did not pick up the
calls but instead sent a message:
“Will revert.”
This comes after revelations of
another elaborate plan to steal
nearly Sh18.2 million in forged
vouchers for fictitious payments by
procurement officers in the Ministry
of Health and those in the lab in May
this year.
The payments were for “stationery,
chemicals and reagents” in the
National Quality Control Laboratory
(NQCL).
However, these payments were
intercepted by some of the directors
of NQCL otherwise eight companies
would have pocketed over Sh18.2
million.
Seven of these companies were
purporting to supply chemicals and
reagent while one — Spring-Line
Agencies Ltd — was to supply
stationery worth Sh795, 000 to the
government facility.
On this, the Health Cabinet Secretary
Cleopa Mailu said it was being
investigated.
RESIGN
The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ)
has demanded the immediate
resignation and prosecution of Dr
Muragari for defending wanton
corruption at the Ministry and
threats to a Business Daily journalist.
“Thousands of Kenyans die every
second due to lack of drugs and
medical equipment in our public
hospitals, but a public officer who is
entrusted with this very significant
responsibility of saving lives can
afford to defend the loss of Sh5
billion with threats to the media,”
said KUJ secretary general Erick
Oduor.
He added: “Besides dancing on the
graves of Kenyans whose lives could
have been saved by the drugs and
equipment that were to be procured
by the diverted funds, Dr Muraguri
disclosed that the government will
instead consider hacking into systems
of newsrooms, and spy what
journalists are doing.”
Mr Oduor called on President Uhuru
Kenyatta to: “Demand accountability
from such public officers who believe
that espionage in newsrooms is the
only cure to corruption cancer in
government ministries.”
it is rumoured that After the Business
Daily Expose MOH Ps Maraguri sent his guys who
bought all copies on the streets of Nairobi
And Nation responded by printing more copies!
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but why? si hii wanasidia kwa sales tu. @wakanya hizo gazeti zimefika nusheri yako unisaidie na copy ama lazima ninunue mutura?
Ha ha ha ha ! The fool and his money
msee anakula pesa ya dawa za wagonjwa? Were are we headed?
Bt karma will rain hell on him…maybe already ako na ‘lifestyle’ disease ya walanyama:mad::mad: