Economy

Kemsa extends redundancy notice to engage employees

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Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) warehouse in Nairobi. PHOTO | LUCY WANJIRU | NMG

The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) has extended the notice of redundancy it had issued early this month to allow more time to engage its employees.

All the authority's 900 employees had been given a month's dismissal notice in June, which lapses on July 6.

They were required to re-apply for their jobs afresh and those who were to be retained were to know their fate in September. But the drugs agency now says the one-month notice, which lapses next Wednesday had been extended to allow more time for dialogue between the two parties.

“On behalf of the authority, the chief executive officer wishes to notify all members of staff that following the ongoing engagements and the subsequent feedback, questions, and enquiries, the general notice of redundancy has been extended to July 11, 2022,’’ said Kemsa CEO Terry Ramadhani in a notice to workers Monday.

Ms Ramadhani says workers will be engaged in the whole redundancy exercise set to take off once the new notice expires. The sackings are part of a “clean-up” after the Covid-19 scandal, where a few top officials are alleged to have aided the theft of billions of public money.

The dug agency bought the Covid-19 emergency equipment at Sh6.3 billion in a procurement the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission flagged as irregular and recommended charges against some officials.

The management has however said the going changes are not related to the recent scandal at the agency related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kemsa had 912 employees against an approved number of 341 in the year ended June 2020, according to a report submitted to lawmakers by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu.

Ms Gathungu says in her report that no approval was provided to hire the extra 571 workers at the agency that was at the centre of corrupt dealings over the procurement of Covid-19 emergency equipment.

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