It wasn’t me: Ex-PS Josephine Mburu says Kemsa bungled Sh3.7bn tender under Peter Tum

Josephine Mburu and Peter Tum

Principal Secretary Peter Tum (right), who has since been moved to the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Arts and Sports, was in charge of Medical Services, while former PS Josephine Mburu (left) was in charge of the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards.

Photo credit: Nation Media Group

Sacked Principal Secretary Josephine Mburu has asked the Senate team investigating botched Sh3.7 billion tender at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) to give her a fair hearing. 

Mburu told the team that she learnt of her sacking through the media.

Ex-PS Mburu: I learned of my sacking through media

"I need to be given a fair hearing because I only saw my firing in the media while I was in office working. I even met with the President that Monday morning," Mburu said. 

Mburu absolved herself from blame claiming that Principal Secretary Peter Tum, who has since been moved to the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Arts and Sports, was in charge of Medical Services during the botched Sh3.7 billion tender. 

Last month, President William Ruto sacked the Principal Secretary for Public Health, Josephine Mburu, and the entire board of the government agency.

He has also suspended its chief executive, Ms Terry Ramadhani.

As part of the overhaul of the medical supplies agency, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha also sent home other affected senior staff working under the National Malaria Programme and Kemsa at the Ministry of Health.