The National Treasury is yet to release Sh67 million to the Kenya Revenue Authority for a shipment of antiretroviral drugs that has been held at the Mombasa port for the fifth month now.
The Nation has learnt that the consignment, which was shipped into the country in January, attracted a tax of Sh113 million, but Treasury has since released Sh45 million.
Ms Lilian Nyawanda, the Customs and Border Control commissioner said: “The balance is not a hindrance, once we get the commitment, we are ready to clear the goods. But we cannot do that until a clearance permit from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board is issued.”
The Authority has since released 78 containers brought in by American firm Chemonics, which had imported them on behalf of the United States Agency for Development (USAid).
A standoff arose after USAid chose the firm to procure and distribute its donations to Kenya without involving the Ministry of Health.
The impasse has created a shortage of ARVs at the health facility level. Despite the Ministry of Health’s assurance that there are enough ARVs in the country, people living with HIV are currently only being prescribed a week’s supply, unlike before when they were supplied with enough to last for three to six months.
Protest
On Friday, those living with HIV protested over the ARVs shortage in the country, especially the children’s syrup, and demanded that the government ends the stalemate and releases the drugs.
Stuck at the port are 258,954 packs of tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir .
The consignment arrived on January 18 after an application for the import permits and approval of import declaration form were submitted on December 16, last year and resubmitted on January 5.: The United States is now considering moving the ARVs to another country, a move that could deal a heavy blow to patients who have been waiting for their drugs. The USAid cited the remaining shelf life of the drugs and the storage charges accruing as the reason for the move, stating that already, the charges amount to over one-quarter of the cost.
“If the clearances do not arrive on time, the US will need to determine whether it is cost efficient, given the remaining shelf life, to keep the medicines in storage near the port or move the medicines to other countries where they are also needed,” it stated.
Going by Kenya’s policies, government-to-government donations channelled through relevant government institutions enjoy a tax waiver. This was the case when the United States government, through USAid, donated medical supplies through the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa).
Kenya slapped the ARVs consignment with a Sh90 million tax bill after USAid side-stepped the usual system of importing HIV/Aids and tuberculosis drug donations through Kemsa and instead used a private firm.
Corruption
On its part, USAID said it can no longer work with Kemsa, citing allegations of corruption and mismanagement at Kemsa.
The weight of procurement irregularities has been hanging over Kemsa since 2020 when the institution was alleged to have mishandled the procurement of Covid-19 supplies, including personal protective equipment. BY DAILY NATION