Former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has distanced herself from any knowledge of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s alleged involvement in a controversial Ksh.3.7 billion Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) mosquito net tender.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee on Monday for vetting as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN Habitat, Nakhumicha was grilled on procurement irregularities that occurred under her watch at the Ministry of Health.
Belgut MP Nelson Koech specifically questioned her about the tender in which Gachagua was accused of leveraging his executive influence to benefit his two sons. The accusations against the former Deputy President were a key feature in his October 2024 impeachment proceedings, where he faced multiple charges, including abuse of office.
Nakhumicha, however, told the committee that she only became aware of Gachagua’s alleged involvement during the impeachment hearings, which occurred after she had been removed from the cabinet.
“With the information that I was given, his involvement was not there,” she said. “I got to learn of his involvement when the House was going through the impeachment process. That is how I got to learn that most likely he had been.”
Her statement casts light on the inner workings and challenges within Afya House during her tenure, where issues of transparency and procurement malpractice came under national scrutiny.
Nakhumicha also reflected on other significant challenges she faced while serving as Health CS, notably the 56-day doctors’ strike, which paralyzed public health services countrywide.
“That was one of the hardest tackles of my tenure. I had sleepless nights trying to resolve it,” she admitted. Despite the ordeal, she termed such experiences as “occupational hazards” and expressed readiness to face any future challenges in her new diplomatic role.
“If approved, I am sure other issues might come up. I am happy to deal with them when they do,” she said confidently.
Nakhumicha’s nomination to the UN Habitat comes at a time when questions continue to swirl around government accountability in public procurement and service delivery.
