MPs demand suspension of Kemsas Waiganjo Karanja over alleged role in PPE scam

MPs demand suspension of Kemsas Waiganjo Karanja over alleged role in PPE scam

Members of Parliament are now demanding that Kemsa Finance manager Waiganjo Karanja be suspended for his role in the Ksh. 7.8 billion PPE scandal.

Waiganjo had a hard time before the Public Accounts Committee convincing them that he had no role in the mismanagement of the COVID-19 funds.

Waiganjo was appearing before the committee with acting CEO Edward Njoroge, acting procurement manager Edward Buluma, and corporation secretary Fred Wanyonyi who were all put under the microscope on what role they played in the scandal.

However, the biggest flak was saved for Waiganjo who signed off almost all financial deals during the time of the scandal.

Wajir North MP Ahmed Ibrahim raised issue with Waiganjo’s continued stay in office yet the officers whom they executed the tenders under probe were suspended.

“You were supposed to be suspended… I even wonder why you weren’t. You bear the biggest responsibility of the organization’s big loss,” the MP said.

Kajwang’ asked the CEO if he was surprised that the finance manager was not suspended.

However, Waiganjo and his team maintained that the Board and the suspended officials were squarely to blame for the loss of monies from the purchase of equipment made during that period.

The MPs were surprised after Waiganjo claimed that he was not a signatory to some payments made despite him being the finance director.

Asked if he knew how much he signed off in payment for PPEs, Waiganjo said he would have to do an analysis because some of the payment was signed off by the CEO Jonnah Manjari and Commercial director Eliud Murithi.

“My department would have been bypassed, because I would only need to sign the voucher” Waiganjo told the committee.

The lawmakers also raised concerns with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s appointment of Kemsa board chairman Kembi Gitura to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

MPs at the committee chaired by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir said the appointment of the former Murang’a Senator was in bad taste considering the investigation into the Kemsa scandal was yet to be completed.

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