The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) has opposed the recent appointment of Terry Kiunge Ramadhani as the new substantive CEO of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
According to PSK, Kiunge’s installation as CEO violates the provisions of the KEMSA act in terms of the academic qualifications required for the position and integral concerns.
The Society claims that the KEMSA board disregarded the law which requires a CEO to have attained a first degree in pharmacy, medicine, business management, finance, supply chain management, or any other related field from a recognized university.
Kiunge who was appointed on Thursday holds a bachelor’s degree in Education from Kenyatta University.
“The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya is dismayed at the rate the Board Of Management of KEMSA has continued to undermine and disregard the tenets of the constitution and a host of public service statutes on the public appointment,” read a section of the statement by PSK.
“Section 8(2)(a) of the KEMSA Act amended through the Health Laws Amendment Act 2019 clearly states the minimum qualifications of the CEO of KEMSA, Ms Terry Kiunge Ramadhani does not meet this requirement. In addition, the major function of KEMSA is procurement, warehousing, and distribution of health products and technologies.”
PSK further claims that Ms Kiunge, who was a former member of the KEMSA Board, being awarded the CEO position goes against good corporate governance.
“We find it hard to understand why the KEMSA board would settle on a candidate who has no experience in health commodities supply chain management yet there were other more qualified and experienced candidates who applied for the position,” PSK noted.
“The appointed CEO was a board member on the same KEMSA board that appointed her. Recusal of the board and hiring of an external company for this process would have been the bare minimum.”
The body now wants the Authority to quash the installation of Kiunge within two days citing incompetence and vested interests in the board, failure to which they will take legal action.
“If this appointment of an unqualified and unsuitable person to be the substantive CEO of KEMSA is not rescinded within the next 48 hours. We are ready to stand with the law, towards seeking further legal sanctions against the Board, if the said Board does not reverse this illegality,” PSK remarked.
Prior to her new role, Kiunge served at Aga Khan University as the HR and Global Change Director.
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