The mosquito net tender row worth Sh3.7 billion has placed Dr. Andrew Mulwa, the Acting CEO of Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa), at the center of the controversy, according to the National Assembly Health Committee. The committee, which is investigating irregularities in the tendering process, believes that Dr. Mulwa may have initiated the chain of events that led to the cancellation of the tender by the donor organization Global Fund.
During a heated probe led by Endebess MP Robert Pukose, Dr. Mulwa, previously serving as the Director of Preventive and Promotive Health in the Ministry of Health, struggled to explain his role in the tendering process.
Dr. Mulwa was also questioned for authorizing an official in the Ministry of Health to write a memo that resulted in changing the specifications of the mosquito nets. In his defense, he admitted that his decision was based on advice from an unnamed individual. According to Dr. Mulwa, this person raised concerns about gaps in the contract specifications provided by Kemsa, prompting him to direct the writing of a memo addressing the missing specifications.
Dr. Mulwa clarified that the memo did not pass through his office and was instead passed by the suspended PS Public Health Josephine Mburu. Ms. Mburu then wrote to the suspended Kemsa CEO Terry Ramadhani, requesting a change in specifications based on the advice received.
Acknowledging that the included specification of PBO in the tender was not required by the Global Fund, Dr. Mulwa explained that the procurement of the mosquito nets was carried out by the malaria program under the Ministry of Health, following the policy and specifications outlined in a 2016 document. The Kemsa specification was rectangular in shape, white, green, and blue in color.
Furthermore, Dr. Mulwa stated that the Global Fund had chosen polythene nets as part of their specifications. He argued that the inclusion of PBO would allow other partners supporting the malaria program to procure the nets more easily.
However, committee members expressed anger towards Dr. Mulwa, blaming him for the loss of Sh3.7 billion to international supplier Wambo.Org due to the specifications. They also questioned the criteria used to suspend and dismiss some employees connected to the scandal while others involved in the mishandling of the tender remained.
Dr. James Nyikal, the Seme Member of Parliament, demanded an explanation for Dr. Mulwa's decision to change the specifications and criticized the influence of personal interests on the job. Dr. Mulwa defended himself, claiming he had not changed any specifications and that what he provided to the National Treasury in October 2022 was the same as the 2016 specifications.
Regarding allegations of threatening an official at the Ministry of Health to manipulate documents, Dr. Mulwa denied the claims, stating that he no longer worked at the Ministry and that the documents presented before the health committee were authentic.
Additionally, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha appeared before the probe and was tasked with explaining the financial losses incurred due to the tender cancellation. Nakhumicha dismissed reports suggesting no financial loss, highlighting the expenses related to tender advertisements, the time invested by the evaluation committee, and the two percent expenditure on the procurement of the 10.2 million mosquito nets.