On November 28, Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi ordered the release of NHIF CEO Geoffrey Gitau Mwangi and acting Finance Director Wilbert Kiplangat Kurgat.
Each was granted a bond of Sh1 million, accompanied by a surety of the same amount, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the multi-billion NHIF scandal.
Reports indicate that Abdul Galgalo Munishram, a close associate of Aden Duale, is allegedly implicated in this scandal, with documents suggesting that he played a pivotal role in the unfolding events.
Notably, Mwangi and Kurgat were arrested and charged only with conspiracy to defeat justice and disobedience of a lawful order, raising questions about the identity of the individual or individuals responsible for the alleged theft of nearly Sh2 billion from NHIF.
Among the individuals named in a list released by DPP Noordin Haji is Abdul Galgalo Munishram, who serves as the Director of Munshiram International Business System, a consultancy and software development firm specializing in payment and management systems.
This company was contracted by NHIF to implement an ambitious three-year plan for a fully biometric system, further complicating the narrative surrounding the scandal.
While announcing the plan, the former CEO, Geoffrey Mwangi, now facing graft charges, revealed that NHIF had already registered all civil servants in 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, ideal, Kenyans would not be required to produce their NHIF card at even the remotest of health centers to be treated; all they had to do was place a finger on a machine as we did during the 2017 general election 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-dollar scandal after ‘powerful’ people in government demanded Sh400 million from Abdul Galgalo. The businessman agreed, but on the condition that NHIF make advance payments to facilitate the 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 honor 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.
