Economy

Kemsa to renew staff contracts monthly as redundancy plan lingers

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

Workers at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) whose employment terms will expire before September will get monthly job extensions.

The drug agency said management had resolved to renew workers' contracts that lapse between now and September to offer all employees an equal opportunity to apply for the jobs they want in the new structure.

This comes at a time Kemsa plans to declare the current jobs redundant and advertise them afresh in a restructuring plan set to see only suitable applicants within and outside the agency absorbed afresh under new terms.

All the authority's 900 employees had been given a month's dismissal notice in June, which lapses on July 6, 2022. Upon the expiry of the first notice, it was extended again to July 11.

Workers were required to re-apply for their jobs afresh and those who emerge successful were expected to know their fate in September.

“All contracts will be renewed monthly for the staff whose contracts expire during the 3 –month transition period to offer all employees a fair and equal opportunity to apply for desired roles in the new structure,” said Kemsa in response to workers' queries on Friday.

The management further added that in the new structure, some technical jobs will be primarily exclusive for internal candidates and will only be advertised externally if the authority fails to fill up the positions internally. All positions, management said will however be open to qualified internal and external candidates.

“Staff will be at liberty to apply for any positions advertised and one can only become redundant after their current roles fall off and they don’t qualify for the applied positions,” said Kemsa management.

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 procurement the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission flagged as irregular and recommended charges against some officials.

Kemsa had 912 employees against an approved number of 341 in the year ended June 2020.

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