Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia (pictured) now says rollout of the controversial Sh64 billion Managed Equipment Services (MES) was frustrated by some governours demanding they be allowed to procure the medical equipment instead of the national government.And despite ills identified with the programme, with complaints that Kenyans are not getting value for the huge investment pumped into it, Mr Macharia, under whose tenure as Health Secretary majority of the MES contracts were signed, maintained that it remains the noblest programme towards the realisation of universal healthcare.The CS, who appeared before the Senate Ad-hoc committee accompanied by former Principal Secretary in the docket Dr Nicholas Muraguri, said the uniform rollout of the programme was hampered by governors demanding that they be allowed to do the procurement.But the CS and PS were at pains to explain the logic of leasing some basic equipment, readily available even in supermarkets at exorbitant prices.

Source: Standard Media