The United States government has imposed charges on a 40-year-old Kenyan for allegedly conspiring to steal medical supplies worth millions from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
An investigation by US authorities established that the middle-aged man conspired with his Guyanese accomplice to allegedly steal HIV test kits and other medical commodities supplied to Kenya by the American government.
The US government had provided medical supplies worth Ksh83 billion through the USAID programme to help the country in its fight against HIV/AIDS.
However, the Kenyan suspect took advantage of the opportunity and opened a registered company to allegedly steal HIV test kits intended for the country's ailing population.
The commodities would then be bought by a separate firm which belongs to the 42-year-old Guyanese national. The Guyanese national went ahead to obtain a “Letter of Authority” which allowed him to operate as an authorised distributor.
After obtaining the letter, the 42-year-old secured a sole-source contract with the Guyana Ministry of Health to distribute the stolen commodities to the foreign nation.
The US prosecutors told the court that between 2015 and 2019, the Guyana citizen paid his Kenyan counterpart more than Ksh22 million ($177,000) for the USAID-funded HIV test kits meant for Kenya.
To exacerbate the situation, the Guyanese even went ahead and sold the allegedly stolen test kits from a separate USAID-funded programme as well.
“This was an incredibly complicated investigation, spanning years and an ocean,” said one of the US prosecutors who highlighted the complexity of the investigation.
“These defendants jeopardised a vital public health mission and caused a significant loss to the American taxpayers," the prosecutor added.
If found guilty, the Kenyan suspect risks an imprisonment of up to 20 years, fines or even supervised release terms that could result in the restriction of his movements.
However, the prosecutors emphasised that the two individuals were merely suspects and that they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
