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President William Ruto yesterday escalated the verbal war between the national government and governors over the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP).

On Wednesday, Council of Governors (CoG) Vice Chairman, Mutahi Kahiga had told the Senate Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that governors were kept in the dark about the contracts seeking to equip county-run health facilities.

Kahiga described the situation as “desperate” due to the failure of the previous Medical Equipment Service (MES) project.

However, while speaking in Kilifi county where he opened an International Investment Conference, Ruto dismissed the claims as baseless and accused unnamed individuals of spreading misinformation.

“There was a procurement process with counties and the Ministry of Health represented. There was no obligation by any county to get any equipment from any supplier,” an agitated President Ruto claimed, adding that anyone who says they were forced by the national government to sign any contract, are “conmen and liars”.

Ruto stated that the counties had the option to choose the equipment they required and no coercion was used to have the county governments sign agreements to lease medical equipment under the Social Health Authority (SHA) programme.

New model
“I assure the country that the fraud and corruption that plagued the NHIF will not infiltrate SHA as long as I am in charge. It will never happen under our Universal Health Coverage (UHC) plan,” Ruto asserted.

Before the President waded into this issue yesterday, the Ministry of Health had issued a statement on Wednesday evening clarifying reports in some local dailies, which indicated that the NESP was based on leasing the equipment.

Health Cabinet Secretary, Dr Deborah Barasa stated that the NESP model is different from the leasing option, and that the governors in collaboration with the Ministry, resolved to adopt a Fixed Fee-for Service (FFS) model for the procurement of the Medical Equipment Services (MES).

“Tender submissions were received and opened in accordance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, in the presence of representatives from the Ministry, County Governments, and bidders,” the CS explained.

In the FFS model, the CS said, vendors are allowed to supply, maintain, and upgrade advanced medical equipment at no cost to county health facilities, thereby allowing the counties to concentrate their resources on patient care.

The Senate PAC chaired by Homa Bay Senator, Moses Kajwang’ warned that the NESP may end up like the previous controversial Sh63 billion MES Program, which documented history shows that it ended up dumping obsolete equipment in the county health facilities.