Kemsa changes tack, hosts pre-bid forum as tenders are floated

CONTRACT: Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) has in radical shift of strategy hosted a pre-bid conference to explain the requirements of the new tenders to those participating.

The move comes at a time the government agency smarts from the shame of lost billions of shillings to dubious procurement deals last year.

An estimated Sh7.6 billion was lost in irregular procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) in peculiar deals that shocked the country at the height of Covid-19 pandemic crisis, exposing the agency to threats of funding cuts.

The Global Fund and United States Agency for International Development  (Usaid) threatened to withdraw up to Sh400 billion earmarked for Kenya to support HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria plans for the next three years.

But in a move akin to seeking to put in place fool-proof procurement measures, the agency in charge of medical supplies procurement, invited bidders yesterday to participate in an open tender opening process.

At stake are two competitive tenders for pharmaceutical products.

The agency is calling on Kenyans to tender bids for supply to more than 8,000 facilities in the national public health care system.

Acting CEO Edward Njoroge implored local manufacturers and disadvantaged groups to participate.

“The bidding process will be undertaken with strict adherence to local and international procurement standards,” he said in a statement as the agency steps up plans to guarantee access to quality Health Products and Technologies (HPTs).

Open to all

It follows an advertisement Kemsa placed in a local daily on June 30 where it indicated that all Kenyans were eligible to apply for the tenders as the notice is open to all.

“Applications must be made by July 22 and 27, 2021,” the advertisement stated.

The agency called on bidders to download the tender documents from the KEMSA website, or the IFMIS tender portal www.supplier.treasury.go.ke or tenders.go.ke and