On November 28, the Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi released NHIF CEO Geoffrey Gitau Mwangi and acting Finance Director Wilbert Kiplangat Kurgat on Sh1 million bond each and a surety of similar amount over the multi-billion NHIF scandal.
Interestingly, the duo were arrested and charged solely for conspiracy to defeat justice and disobedience of a lawful order, no other charges have been pressed against them. This then begs the question, who stole close to Sh2 billion shillings from NHIF?
Tucked innocently at number 10 (Roman x) in a list released by DPP Noordin Haji is one Abdul Galgalo Munishram, Director of Messer’s Munshiram International Business System, a software development and Consultancy Company specializing in payment systems, Management systems, Card based systems and systems integrations, contracted by NHIF to steer an ambitious plan to roll out a fully biometric system which would take three years to deploy fully.
While announcing the plan, the former CEO Geoffrey Mwangi who is now facing graft charges revealed that NHIF had already registered all civil servants to a database that the biometric system would refer to besides fitting 1,370 hospitals with biometric kits in a test pilot program.
According to Mwangi, ideally Kenyans would not be required to produce their NHIF card at even the remotest of health centers in order to be treated, all they had to do was place a finger on a machine like we did during the 2017 general election in order to access affordable health services. Sounds good and easy right? Well, it should have been!
Unfortunately, just like it happened with NYS, cartels were already angling to get this lucrative tender. That’s how billionaire businessman Abdul Galgalo Munishram – Aden Duale’s long time business partner came into the picture. A credible source reveals that, Abdul Galgalo was introduced to a senior Rift Valley politician at an exclusive residence in Karen suburbs.
What should have been a genuine business deal metamorphosed into a multi-billion scandal after ‘powerful’ people in Government demanded a Sh400 million from Abdul Galgalo. The businessman agreed but on a condition that NHIF make advance payments to facilitate importation of the biometrics.
Shockingly, despite NHIF making full payments for the supply and installation of the biometrics across the country, only four hospitals were fitted. Three years down the line, Abdul Galgalo disappeared in thin air after being prodded severally by the CEO to honour the tender and make the supplies.
The former NHIF CEO Geoffrey Mwangi and his acting Finance Director Wilbert Kiplangat Kurgat are mere scapegoats, no wonder they are facing ridiculous charges of ‘obstructing justice’, the real cartel is in Karen.