Former Health Principal Secretary Khadijah Kassachoon on Monday, July 27, found herself in the hot seat as she appeared before a Senate committe to answer to a medical kits contract worth Ksh63 Billion.
According to records presented by the committee, Kassachoon signed the Sh38 billion contracts for the Managed Equipment Service (MES) programme in 2015 which were later valued at more than Ksh25 Billion the original price.
Appearing before the senate committee chaired by Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, the former PS asked for more time as the documents she presented were not conclusive.
"It is an offence to fail to give parliamentary committee evidence as required. You can actually be imprisoned for six months or pay a fine of Ksh200,000 or both," the senator stated.
The Committee on its part, threatened to recommend her prosecution as they faulted Kassachoon for failing to respond to their issues adequately.
The committee found that the documents presented were vague and 'shallow a three-page document.'
"You were in a senior position and played a big role, especially in the procurement, and when we write our report, it might implicate you," Senator Dulo warned.
They stated that the fact that the former PS could not account for how the deal was signed went to show just how the deal was corrupted by senior officials.
Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula added, "You were the accounting officer of a Ministry that gobbles billions of taxpayers' money every financial year, if these are the answers you can give this committee, then we now know the geneisis of the scandal."
Kassachoon defended herself by arguning that the documents she had requested from the Ministry were not available at the time she appeared before the committee.
In February 2015, the Ministry of Health signed the MES deal with international companies for the supply, installation, maintenance, replacement and disposal of various equipment in at least two hospitals in every county at Ksh38 billion, a figure that was re-adjusted to the final Ksh63 billion.
Former Attorney General Githu Muigai appeared before the Senate Committee on July 22, where he placed the blame of the controversial Ksh63 billion deal squarely on the Ministry of Health's doorstep, which was then led by current Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia.
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