Suspended employees at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authorities (KEMSA) accused the institution's bosses of edging out old employees for their new favourite ones.
In a letter addressed to President William Ruto, the employees urged the head of state to intervene and reinstate them, arguing that they were victims of boardroom power play.
A copy of the document was also sent to the CEO of the Public Service Commission and Secretary of the Cabinet nominee Mercy Wanjau and Simon Rotich, respectively.
"Review and halt the so-called reforms, which have now been turned into a weapon against the old or long-serving employees of KEMSA," the letter read.
The employees further lamented the monopoly from the top management in the implementation of the reforms at the institution.
One of their key grievances was that the HR systems were developed without the participation of key internal stakeholders yet used for advertising vacancies.
KEMSA, they also argued, was spending Ksh90 million on salaries, yet the employees were somewhat idle.
They thus asked Ruto to separate the multi-billion scandal from the HR issues which were being used to sweep the fraud and embezzlement case under the carpet.
"The initial reforms have been hijacked and turned into a witch-hunt, meant to disadvantage long-serving employees so that cronies and friends can be appointed into the vacant positions," the letter read on.
According to the embattled staff, Ruto's intervention will help the institution find its place in managing health products and technologies in Kenya.
In November 2021, 600 employees were sent on compulsory leave to pave the way for reforms initiated by the government in the scandal-ridden institution.
At the beginning of 2022, 23 senior KEMSA managers were further sent on a 45-day compulsory leave. The managers, however, complained that the institution acted unfairly by indirectly firing them.
KEMSA, however, dismissed the allegations arguing that the decision was made after plans to restructure the agency were ratified by the government.
