When Irungu Nyakera, the KEMSA chairman took over at the time when KEMSA was plagued by corruption scandals, he immediately announced his commitment to undertaking far-reaching reforms to ensure the success of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.
This man of action wasn’t bluffing. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
Procurement processes have since undergone a complete overhaul, including digitising and allocating local manufacturers’ bigger share of supplies. The institution has so far increased its order fill-rate to 80%.
He didn’t stop there. He went ahead and revoked the existing list of pre-qualified suppliers and initiated a new and impartial process to pre-qualify suppliers that would offer value for money.
Pre-qualification of suppliers at the authority has paved the way for fair competition and realising the best prices for HPTs, hence lowering the cost of healthcare.
This is Irungu Nyakera for you. A man driven by a clear vision. A dedicated leader focused on results-driven undertakings.
An embodiment of KUSEMA NA KUTENDA. Keep working, Mr Chairman. Mr Pius Kinuthia is a governance and policy expert and also a political analyst.