End uncertainty at Kemsa – Business Daily

Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) warehouse in Embakasi, Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Workers at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) have been left in uncertainty over the future of their jobs for far too long, affecting smooth operations at the State-owned agency.

The agency has been planning to lay off some of its staff since last November as part of a restructuring to improve accountability on the back of a string of scandals that have plagued it.

All Kemsa’s employees had been given a month’s dismissal notice in June, which lapsed on July 6 before being extended again to July 11.

The workers were required to reapply for their jobs and those successful were expected to know their fate in September.

The latest Auditor-General’s report found the agency had 912 employees against an approved 341 in the year ended June 2020, meaning layoffs are inevitable.

However, chief executive Terry Ramadhani this week again pushed back the decision to “next few days”, exacerbating tension amongst workers at the agency.

We urge the Kemsa management and board to expeditiously bring the impasse to an end to ensure smooth operations at the agency which provides all medical supplies to county hospitals and healthcare centres.