KNUN Secretary General Seth Panyako asks CS Kagwe to resign

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary-General, Seth Panyako has asked Health CS Mutahi Kagwe to resign.

Speaking in Kakamega on Sunday, Panyako asked President Uhuru to fire the Health CS and other top officials at the ministry, accusing them of wanton graft.

“Kagwe and Mochache should resign before Monday and if they don’t, President Uhuru should sack them before they do more damage at the ministry,” he added.

At the same time, Panyako said probe into how Kakamega County spent over Ksh.100M in fight against COVID-19 yet there are neither labs, nor reagents in the county should be kicked off.,

“We know, we want Oparanya to tell us how this money was used especially since there is no lab to test for coronavirus, there are no reagents yet the money was disbursed,” Panyako said.

The union boss now wants the United Nations to probe how Kenya has spent the money given by foreign donors for the battle against coronavirus.

He invited the relevant government bodies to probe into allegations that over Ksh.360m set aside for fight against COVID-19 had been misappropriated.

Panyako’s sentiments come in the backdrop of claims that USAID and the Global Fund had thretened to stop aid to Kenya over allegations of graft.

The two key donors threatened to withdraw up to Ksh.400 billion earmarked for Kenya following the latest COVID-19 scandal linked to a government agency.

The Global Fund and USAID are threatening to withdraw funds that were to support HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria programs for the next three years.

They expressed concern over KEMSA’s procurement woes as well as management and implementation of the grants given to the institution.

The COVID-19 scandal has also created an internal crisis at the supplies agency: it stands to lose up to Ksh.2billion as it struggles to dispose of PPEs and other COVID-19 supplies.