MPs push for KNH Board disbandment over conflict of interest » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 24 – Members of Parliament are mulling disbanding the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Board following revelations that they halted the implementation of an oxygen plant in the health facility due to personal interest.
This emerged before the National Assembly Health Committee led by Endebess MP Robert Pukose that the KNH board led by Sameer Muravej were conflicted in interfering and halting the implementation of the multi-million project.
MPs accused Muravej of abusing his powers at the helm of the board by stopping the implementation of the oxygen plant after he disclosed that the contractor was his former business partner.
“We are disappointed as members of the committee for KNH board to interfere with the day to day operation of the hospital facility.We are hoping action is taken with immediate effect or we can move to sponsor a motion for disbandment of the board,”said the committee chair Robert Pukose.
Principal Secretary Medical Services Harry Kimutai faulted the KNH Board for usurping their powers by moving to halt the implementation project yet it wasn’t within their mandate.
“I am taking action, because I have asked the CEO to give me a report of the same so that I can recommended the removal of the board and it has come out so clearly here,” Kimutai stated.
“The board mandate is to oversee, when they interfere with the day to day operations, they now become conflicted,” he added.
The Vice Chair of the Committee Patrick Munene pointed out that President William Ruto had issued a warning to state agencies and parastatals board who overstep on their mandate competing with management in running day to day operations of the entities.
“Is their any conflict of interest in this board when it comes to KNH tenders because we are now seeing them interfering with the day to day operations of the management,” Munene stated.
Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge added: “With a conflicted board, how objective will that board be in the next step across this project and other activities in the management of the hospital.”
Muravej however defended himself saying the KNH Board didn’t act out of malice saying the majority of board members voted to have the oxygen plant tender investigated.
“It was the decision of the board and not my decision. When the issue was brought before the board. I declared that there might be a conflict of interest, he was my former business partner and we separated even before I became Chair or he was awarded the contract,” he said.
“The reason why we investigated this project is because a board member questioned why the project had not been concluded 24 months ago especially given that the hospital was buying oxygen,” he added.
Chuka Igambangombe MP queried why the KNH Board was adamant to investigate the implementation of the oxygen plant yet many stalled projects are left unattended for years.
“There have been so many stalled projects in Kenyatta including the Centre for Development. Infact some have been stalled for 20 years. How may have you formed ad-hoc committee to investigate the issue?” Munene posed.
Bad blood was evident between KNH Board and the Management as they read from different scripts in terms of the specification of the oxygen plant tender as advertised.
According to the KNH Board, the contractor had not complied with the specification and implementation of the tender but the Management all specifications were adhered too according to the advertised tender.
Muravej led board made resolution impeding the extension of the contract until the Ministry of Health had given them a nod on the issue.
“The Board made the decision because it emerged that the liquified oxygen was not supplied in accordance with the tender. Even the DCI was alerted to investigate the concerns,” he stated.
KNH CEO Evanson Kamuri told MPs that the KNH Board insisted on using the wrong parameters in investigating the tender implementation despite advice from the management technical operatives.
“We gave them the documents to investigate the compliance of the oxygen plant but they insisted on using different documents. We explained to them but they didn’t hear.We told them to refer to the MOH in terms of specifications but they didn’t hear ,”Kamuri stated.
“I was given a showcase letter to explain why the tender had been extended and the steps taken. The only people who have a different opinion is the board,” he added.
Internal wrangles between the KNH management and the board has led to delays in commissioning the project after the procurement board declined to extend the tender following the infights.
“Internal wrangles made us to write a letter to the PS Medical Services to seek his authorization to extend the tender since the oxygen plant was not ready for commissioning,”Kamuri said.
KNH oxygen plant is supposed to have 4 oxygen plants before the commissioning is done but revelations made before the committee show only two plants had been completed and tested.
According to the Contract Implementation Committee of the project, the oxygen plant is halfway complete which has impeded the official handover and commission.
PS Medical Services warned that any further delays in the implementation of the contract will attract extra cost given that the contractor has only been paid 67 percent of the owed funds.
“When the board came up with the Adhoc committee they delayed the implementation of the project.The contract will attract more cost if its delayed any further because the contractor is ready,”said PS Kimutai.
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