The Baringo County Government has prohibited food hawkers from operating in Eldama Ravine Town, including those who sell eggs, smokeies, maize, juice, coffee, porridge, and tea.

Eldama Ravine town Public Health Officer D Kangogo stated in a notice that the action was taken in response to a case of suspected cholera illness.

“Following suspected case of cholera in our sub-county, all food hawkers are notified to stop hawking food with immediate effect from 25th May 2023 onwards. The said action contravenes Public Health Act Cap 242 and Food Drugs & Chemical Substances Act Cap 254 be informed hawking food of whichever kind shall be arrested and prosecuted in a court of law,” the notice read in part.

Kangogo requires that all food handlers be medically examined before continuing with business.a

“Hawking of food e.g. Eggs, sausages /smokies, samosa, roasting of maize, budding, Juice, coffee, porridge, tea etc is prohibited. All food handlers should be medically examined. All business premises to provide handwashing appliances with soap and running water,” the notice added.

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has directed all 200 plus Kemsa workers who have been working from home since the Covid-19 pandemic struct to report to the office.

The CS who has committed to cracking the whip at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) said no staff will be allowed to work from home anymore.

“I hereby direct, effective tomorrow morning, all staff working for Kemsa, over 200 working from home, report to work,” the CS said.

“I direct the chair, to ensure that your staff understand what is expected of them.”

Nakhumicha labeled it responsible for staff to be working from home for two years with full pay.

Kemsa has been in the news this week since news broke of a botched Sh3.7 billion tender for the supply of treated bed nets to prevent malaria in millions of low-income households.

Josephine Mburu, the principal secretary who was removed on Monday due to the most recent Kemsa scandal, is presumably new to controversy.

Being fired as the first state appointment in President William Ruto’s administration may have surprised the PS, who has only been in office for five months.

A day after pledging to crack down on alleged corruption at the agency to repair the government’s reputation with foreign funders, Ruto sacked her along with other employees.

“I am doing something about it. You will see results. I want to give you my commitment, I will clean up Kemsa, whatever it takes, whatever it costs,” he said during an interview on Sunday.

Following the Sh7 billion Covid-19 pandemic scam, Mburu is now the focus of an investigation into the Sh3.7 billion mosquito net sale at the agency.

So, who is Mburu?

Mburu was chosen by the President to fill the position out of hundreds of applicants after the Public Service Board’s interviews last November.

Before being appointed, the 56-year-old had worked in the Ministry of Health for 34 years, rising through the ranks to become a lecturer at the publicly owned Kenya Medical Training College.

She has a doctorate in public health from Jomo Kenyatta University and a master’s degree in public health with a focus in epidemiology and a minor in health services management from Kenyatta University College.

Between April and August 2021, she served in various roles including acting chief medical laboratory technologist, head of the microbiology unit, head of the national tuberculosis reference laboratory, and acting head of national public health.

She began working at the Gatundu and Kiambu hospitals’ microbiology sections between 1988 and 1994, according to a sneak peek at her curriculum vitae.

Mburu assured MPs during her parliamentary confirmation that she has never been fired or removed from her position or mentioned in any investigative findings throughout her employment.

“The nominee explained that her training and experience in the health sector since 1988 will enable her to identify the challenges and gaps in the health system to enable her to find solutions to the gaps,” a report from the departmental committee on health reads.