The Ministry of Health's decision to complement Health CS Mutahi Kagwe's Covid-19 Briefs with a technical session hosted by Acting Health Services Director-General Patrick Amoth has been coldly received by Kenyans.
Amoth took to his social media on Friday, May 1, to announce that every Wednesday, he would be answering questions relating to the measures taken by the ministry in the fight against the pandemic.
"From next week, I'll be dedicating one hour every Wednesday (11 a.m.-12 p.m.) to clarify on various technical issues around initiatives taken by the Ministry of Health towards managing the Coronavirus pandemic.
"This #AskTheDG session will complement our daily pressers, which continue to be headed by CS Mutahi Kagwe," Amoth stated.
According to the poster that would be used during the event, Amoth was clear that he would entertain questions and solutions from Kenyans on how we could come together and combat the disease.
His sentiments, however, conjured suspicion among Kenyans over the controversial expenditure of the Covid-19 Emergency funds by the government.
This led to Amoth being mocked by a section of Kenyans over the decision, with some dismissing it as a public relations attempt as others termed it another front to siphon the Covid-19 funds.
"Finally the PR firm has recommended on PowerPoint presentations and Twitter live chat," a Twitter user chimed.
"After the wasteful spending of the patient's kitty. Kenyans are switching to CN [Cartoon Network] anytime they see your gang," Karis Omari added.
"That tweet you've just sent is worth how much? [sic] Your communication is kind of billed per letter and per second, right?" another user chimed in.
Many satirical comments were triggered by reports that the Ministry of Health had spent Ksh70 million of the Covid-19 funds on communication.
CS Kagwe has come out clearly to explain the expenditure of the Ministry and urged Kenyans to treat information surrounding such as propaganda and falsehoods.
"It is very easy to put things out of context and make it look that there is theft going on in the ministry. Anybody who is culpable in any sort of expenditure if indeed there is one will not be spared," CS Kagwe stated.
"Some of the things being said as theft are clear expenditures. When you say there is Ksh42 million spent on an ambulance, how much will you pay an ambulance to take you from your home and back?
"Ksh5.2 million out of the Ksh42 million is tax, that is VAT. You take 15 Covid-19 ambulances, put health workers in two shifts, PPEs, noting you have them for twelve weeks, spread it over three months, do the math and tell me where you can get such in this country?" he posed.
