KEMSA is once again under the spotlight, and not for the right reasons. A report by Kenyans.co.ke has exposed a questionable procurement deal involving Angelica Medical Supplies Limited, where goods were delivered before any contracts were signed, and documents like acceptance letters were suspiciously dated after delivery. It’s the same tired story of mismanagement, but what’s even more frustrating is that the current CEO, Dr. Waqo Dulacha Ejersa, who took office in July 2024, seems to be following the same script as those before him.
Despite all his big promises of transparency and reform, things at KEMSA don’t look like they’re improving, if anything, they’re getting worse.
Dr. Ejersa came in with an impressive background and a lot of talk about change. He talked up his years in medicine, his experience in policy, and his vision for cleaning up KEMSA. But now, almost a year later, what do we have? Another scandal, more excuses, and no sign that the system is actually being fixed.
The shady deal with Angelica Medical Supplies happened before he took the reins officially, but he can’t keep hiding behind that forever. He’s the one in charge now, and the rot is still very much alive under his leadership.Instead of taking immediate, visible action to fix the mess, Dr. Ejersa has been busy launching long-term plans and systems that sound good on paper but aren’t solving the real problems.
He’s talked about using tech to track deliveries, tightening financial controls, and transforming KEMSA by 2030. But the basics are still broken. You don’t need fancy logistics systems to know that goods should never arrive before a contract is signed.
That’s not a tech issue it’s a leadership failure. Every time there’s heat, we hear the same lines “we’re improving,” “we’re working on it,” “reforms are underway.” Meanwhile, health workers are left struggling without supplies, and Kenyans are stuck with a failing system. The CEO’s job isn’t to polish KEMSA’s image with press statements and strategy workshops.
It’s to fix the problem. Period. And on that front, Dr. Ejersa is falling flat. KEMSA didn’t need another CEO who’s good at PR and bad at action. It needed someone who could walk in and say, enough is enough. Instead, all we’ve gotten is more talk, more cover-ups, and more broken promises. If this is what “reform” under Dr. Ejersa looks like, Kenyans should be very worried because clearly, the same old games are still being played, and nobody’s being held accountable.
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