By Michelle Ndaga
Kenya is intensifying its drive to strengthen local pharmaceutical and health product manufacturing as part of efforts to enhance national health security, cut medical costs, and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale on Monday hosted the Federation of Kenya Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (FKPM), led by Chairperson and Cosmos Limited Managing Director Dr. Vimal Patel, to advance discussions on expanding local drug production.
The engagement aligns with the Taifa Care Model and is seen as central to sustaining healthcare delivery.
The initiative follows a Presidential directive issued in October 2023, which committed Kenya to locally produce at least 50% of medicines on the Kenya Essential Medicines List (KEML) by 2026.
The policy seeks to reduce dependence on imports, boost local industry, create employment, and secure access to essential health commodities.
Talks centered on scaling up pharmaceutical production capacity under the Kenya Local Manufacturing Strategy 2025–2030, which aims to steer the country toward full self-reliance in Health Products and Technologies (HPTs).
CS Duale reaffirmed the government’s support for local manufacturers, stressing that the reforms will not only improve healthcare access but also advance the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) by generating jobs and empowering communities.
To safeguard drug quality, the Ministry is also implementing digital track-and-trace systems using serialization and blockchain technology, designed to eliminate counterfeit medicines and guarantee authenticity from production to point of care.
CS Duale was accompanied by Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni (Public Health and Professional Standards), Director-General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, and senior officials from the Ministry of Health.
