23 senior managers at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) were sent on 45 days of compulsory leave after a meeting held by the Board of Management.
The bosses were only allowed to pick their personal belongings from the offices under the watch of police officers based at the state corporation.
KEMSA acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Kabuchi, in a notice, directed the managers to fill out leave forms by Friday, February 10, and submit them to his office.
"Following the meeting held with the board earlier today, you are hereby notified that the completed forms should be dropped in CEOs office by the close of business on February 10.
“Those yet to collect their leave forms should collect their forms from the office as well," the managers were directed.
Immediately, the board appointed other members of the staff to hold the senior positions on a temporary basis.
However, the managers lamented over the decision to kick them out of office, accusing the board of indirectly firing them.
Mary Mwandime, the board chairperson, refuted the claims in a response sent to media houses on Friday, February 11. Mwandime explained that they were only restructuring the company adding that the managers sent home had pending leave days.
“All directors and senior managers among other staff members with pending leave days have been asked to process on leave as part of the Human Resource strategy to reduce the leave days liability," she stated.
The board chairperson also refuted claims that the compulsory leave was informed by three court cases filed to stop the takeover of the state corporation by officials from the National Youth Service (NYS) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
In November 2021, over 600 staff were sent on compulsory leave after the government stepped in to carry out reforms at the state agency after scandals that rocked KEMSA during the pandemic.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, on January 20, revealed planned changes at KEMSA noting that they were putting up a Ksh2.5 billion factory to manufacture vaccines.
“The Kenya Biovax will be situated at the current KEMSA grounds in Embakasi. We have taken about three go-downs where that equipment will be put. We are in the process of renovating those go-downs, changing the place, and securing the area,” he revealed.
