Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has vowed to prevent individuals from exploiting Kenya’s Ebola outbreak to amass wealth through questionable government tenders, saying there will be no “Ebola billionaires” under his leadership.
Speaking on Friday, October 23, Duale drew parallels between the current outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic, during which some individuals allegedly profited from irregularly awarded government contracts.
The CS said the issue was personal to him, recalling that he lost his mother during the coronavirus pandemic while others allegedly enriched themselves through public procurement deals.
“I want to tell the nation that there will be no Ebola billionaires under my leadership. I lost my own mother during COVID, but as I and other Kenyans lost our parents and loved ones, others were busy stealing, and they became billionaires,” he said.
Duale warned individuals seeking to profit from the outbreak to stay away from the Ministry of Health headquarters at Afya House, insisting that no tenders were available for award.
He also dismissed media reports claiming the government was mobilising a KSh70 billion Ebola response fund in partnership with the United States and the World Bank.
Also Read: Karen Nyamu Admits Helping Supporter Forge Certificate for Police Recruitment
The Health CS further alleged that some individuals who accumulated wealth during the COVID-19 pandemic were already attempting to exploit the Ebola situation. He noted that some of them had expressed interest in contesting the presidency in the 2027 General Election.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the emergence of ‘COVID billionaires’. Some of them are trying to become the President of Kenya. Do not try to loiter around Afya House looking for fake tenders. I have heard the media reporting about a KSh70 billion fund; there is nothing like that,” Duale reiterated.
The warning comes as Kenya continues to manage its Ebola outbreak, with eight cases reported, according to the article.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health announced that the first group of people placed under quarantine after being identified as contacts of Ebola cases would be released on Sunday, October 25.
The ministry said those who remain healthy would be reunited with their families and thanked them for cooperating with public health officials in efforts to contain the virus.
