Much-awaited probe report on Sh68bn health kits scandal to delay
What you need to know:
- The team has been investigating whether wananchi got value for money.
- Various reports indicate some of the expensive equipment is lying idle in counties because there is no staff personnel to handle it.
- The committee is also investigating how the contract was escalated after variation from Sh38 billion to Sh63 billion.
The much-awaited report on the Sh63 billion Managed Equipment Services (MES) scandal will now be tabled on September 8 after the Senate extended the term of the ad hoc committee conducting the investigation by 34 days.
Committee Vice-Chairman and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula asked the House to add the team more days to complete its work after it received new evidence that revealed gaps in the existing facts.
The committee, which was formed last September to get to the bottom of the MES project, was expected to table its report yesterday after retreating to Naivasha on Thursday last week to finalise the report.
“We’ve concluded all hearings and the raw draft report is almost ready, but we request the House to give us another 34 days because we want to bring a deep, well-researched and conclusive report that will bring a definite end to this saga,” Mr Wetang’ula said.
Bring conclusive report
Senators said the committee needs to bring a conclusive report that will tell Kenyans what transpired in the MES scandal.
“I hope this committee will not disappoint us. All you need is to validate what we already know that the MES project was a mess,” said Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr.
Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura said the country is looking up to the Senate to unravel the scandal that continues to fleece counties of Sh200 million each financial year.
The team has been investigating whether wananchi got value for money with various reports indicating some of the expensive equipment is lying idle in counties because there is no staff personnel to handle it.
The committee is also investigating how the contract, which was initially valued at Sh38 billion, was later escalated after variation to Sh63 billion.
