A tweet shared on August 30 claims that Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary (CS) for the Ministry of Health Mutahi Kagwe has resigned.
BREAKING NEWS :Mutahi kagwe has resigned to pave way for investigation in kemsa scandal ,he become first African leader to resighn from power.
— KIRINYAGA PUNDIT🇰🇪 (@MuriithiKinyua6) August 30, 2020
Another tweet with the same claim was published by a user impersonating media personality Felix Odiwour, alias Jalang’o. The media personality’s official Twitter account is verified.
BREAKING NEWS! CS Mutahi Kagwe has just resigned. What a great gesture.
— J A L A N 'G O (@JaIangoMwenyewe) August 30, 2020
Background
There have been concerns that taxpayers’ money and funding from organizations such as the World Bank and well-wishers allocated towards mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya have been misused. Part of this was revealed in an expose aired by TV station NTV. Besides the Ministry of Health, the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) was implicated in the allegations on misuse of public funds.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on August 26 ordered that investigations on the matter be launched and concluded in the 21 days that follow. The president later demanded that all information related with COVID-19 procurements from KEMSA be published and made publicly available within 30 days, including all winners of tenders.
KEMSA CEO Jonah Manjari on August 28 appeared before a Senate Committee of Health and Covid-19 to respond to the accusations. During this seating, Mr Manjari said that CS Kagwe and Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache are linked to the alleged misappropriation of funds because they gave orders on matters related to COVID-19 procurements.
Verification
The claim that CS Kagwe has resigned has not been reported by any of the local media outlets. It has also not been published on any official government platform, including the Ministry of Health’s Twitter account, where citizens are routinely updated on news from the health sector.
CS Kagwe appeared before the National Assembly Health Committee on September 2 in his capacity as the Health CS to respond to accusations levelled against him in regards to the alleged misappropriation of COVID-19 funds at KEMSA and the health ministry.
CS Mutahi Kagwe: It is my job to put people under pressure so we can deliver results…It is not my job to tell people to commit a crime #KEMSAProbe pic.twitter.com/fUWNpidlue
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) September 2, 2020
Verdict
Claims that Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has resigned so as to pave way for investigations on alleged misuse of COVID-19 funds are FALSE.
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