The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has lauded 16 pharmacies across various counties for their outstanding leadership in managing health commodities, while urging county governments to clear their pending debts to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential medicines.
The recognition was made during a high-level national workshop held in Naivasha, bringing together pharmacists from all 47 counties, senior Ministry of Health (MOH) officials from the Directorate of Health Products and Technologies (DHPT), and KEMSA’s top leadership. The event aimed to realign national health supply priorities with actual on-the-ground needs in healthcare facilities.
“This isn’t just another meeting, it’s a reset,” stated KEMSA CEO Dr. Waqo Ejersa. “We are re-engineering our systems, policies, and partnerships so that every shilling counts, every product matters, and no Kenyan is left without the medicine they need. The era of blind procurement is over.”
As part of its transformation agenda, KEMSA is rolling out a data-driven Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to streamline supply chain operations. The system will capture real-time demand data from health facilities across the country, enabling precise and timely procurement of medical commodities.
“This is about more than moving boxes and stocks—it’s about saving and transforming lives,” Dr. Ejersa said. “When county pharmacists tell us what’s needed and we act swiftly and accurately, we save lives.”
Dr. Ejersa emphasized the urgency for counties to settle their outstanding bills with KEMSA to avoid disruptions in the supply of essential health products. He noted that the authority is reinventing its business model to be leaner, smarter, and more sustainable.
“Our target is to raise our Order Fill Rate to over 90% in the shortest time possible. This is just the beginning of our broader 2025–2030 Sustainable Growth Strategy,” he added.
The workshop marked a pivotal moment in KEMSA’s reform journey as it seeks to regain trust, improve service delivery, and support universal health coverage through efficient supply chain management.
Written By Rodney Mbua
