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33 counties apply for controversial Sh1bn mobile health clinics

clinic

NYS officers walk next to some mobile clinics imported from China by Estama Investments at the NYS camp in Miritini on October 30, 2016. Photo | Laban Walloga | NMG

Thirty three counties have written to the Ministry of Health seeking to take over the controversial 100 portable clinics that were imported in 2014 at a cost of Sh1 billion.

Health principal secretary Susan Mochache Monday told Parliament that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has cleared the transfer of the clinics from the National Youth Service (NYS) yard in Miritini, Mombasa.

Only one container will be left in the NYS yard for use by the EACC as an exhibit in the ongoing case on their importation.

“The EACC wrote to us clearing their movement from Mombasa,” she told the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday.

She, however, failed to disclose who between the national government and the counties will foot the bill for their transportation upcountry from Mombasa.

The 99 improvised clinics that featured in the Sh5 billion Afya House scandal have been at the National Youth Service camp in Mombasa since December 2015 when the first batch arrived.

The Health Ministry in January said that it did not have cash to transport them to the counties.

Foot transport bills

Health Secretary Sicily Kariuki said at the time that counties interested in the mobile clinics must foot their transport bills.

On Monday, Ms Mochache said a team has been dispatched to Mombasa to check on the clinics and report on their status next Wednesday.

Eleven of the portable containers had left Mombasa for Nairobi before the EACC opened investigations and detained the clinics at the NYS yard.

Ms Mochache said the ministry had written to governors asking them to express interest in the containers.

“This is a devolved function and it is up to counties to operate and run the portable medical containers,” she told the committee chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi.

The ministry procured 100 portable clinics from M/s Estama Investments Limited at a contract price of Sh1 billion.

A special audit by Auditor-General Edward Ouko showed that the items were procured but were not factored in the annual procurement plan for the financial year 2014/15 as required in the Procurement Act.

While responding to the special audit, Ms Mochache told MPs that the ministry had signed a multi-year contract with Estama on July 17, 2015 to supply 100 clinics.

“During the financial year, the ministry allocated Sh800 million for purchase of the portable clinics.

"However, before execution of the contract, the ministry had to respond to emergencies requiring blood and consumables,” she said.

She said that since there were no available funds for the supply of laboratory consumables and blood bags, the ministry utilised the available funds of Sh270 million from the available budget of Sh800 million for portable clinics.

Contain the situation

“This was to contain the situation and to save lives of Kenyans. However, during the same financial year, supplementary II revised that allocation downwards by Sh530 million leaving a balance of Sh270 million, which had already been utilised,” Ms Mochache told PAC when she appeared to respond to issues raised in a special audit.

She said even though Estama Limited had fulfilled the requirements of the multi-year contract by delivering 100 portable clinics within the financial year 2015/16, the ministry could only pay for 80 portable clinics.

“In the circumstances and due to unprecedented time of delivery, the Ministry of Health could only commit funds and issue LPOs at the time of delivery for the 80 LPOs before they were paid,” said Ms Mochache.