Naivasha: Counties Praised for Health Funding as KEMSA Rolls Out New Plan to End Drug Shortages
- Eleven counties have been recognised for prioritising healthcare budgets and consistent procurement practices during a national KEMSA workshop
- Sixteen County Pharmacists were honoured for excellence in leadership, innovation, and accountability in managing health commodities
- KEMSA unveiled a tech-driven supply chain reform plan aimed at eliminating stock-outs and improving delivery across all counties
Don't miss out! Join Tuko.co.ke Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
Naivasha: The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) convened a strategic national workshop bringing together county pharmacists from all 47 counties.
Source: Twitter
KEMSA leadership and senior Ministry of Health officials from the Directorate of Health Products and Technologies (DHPT) are also part of the workshop.
The four-day forum, running from July 22 to 25, is focused on realigning the country’s health commodity supply chain with real-time demand, fostering accountability, and spotlighting counties that have shown excellence in health planning and budget execution.
The workshop, organised by KEMSA’s commercial directorate, seeks to accelerate reforms in Kenya’s devolved health system while showcasing counties that have made Health Products and Technologies (HPT) a clear priority.
These counties have demonstrated this by allocating consistent budgets for HPTs, ensuring timely payments to KEMSA, and aligning their procurement processes with actual healthcare needs on the ground.
KEMSA celebrates 11 counties for outstanding performance
As part of the event’s theme, delivering as one, eleven counties have been celebrated for their outstanding performance in HPT management during the 2024–2025 financial year.
These include Machakos, Kitui, Elgeyo Marakwet, Turkana, Mandera, Kwale, Nyeri, Meru, Narok, Kisumu, and Busia.
Each was recognised for placing orders consistently, maintaining healthy credit relationships with KEMSA, and treating the agency as a trusted, primary supplier of medical commodities.
In a parallel recognition ceremony, sixteen county pharmacists were honoured for their leadership and innovation in managing health commodities.
Among those acknowledged were Alex Oindi (Machakos), Beatrice Muia (Kitui), Brian Muyokani (Turkana), Jerusa Oluhano (Vihiga), Kepher Mogere (Kisii), Nancy Olunga (Siaya), and Matthew Yegon (Bomet).
Their efforts in timely procurement, effective debt management, collaboration with key stakeholders, and adoption of forward-thinking strategies have contributed significantly to improved health outcomes at the county level.
KEMSA CEO Waqo Ejersa emphasised that the event marked more than just a routine gathering. He described it as a moment of reset, where systems, policies, and partnerships are being re-engineered to ensure no Kenyan is left without essential medicines.
He said the authority is focused on building a smarter supply chain driven by data and feedback from healthcare facilities.
A key highlight of the workshop was the unveiling of KEMSA’s new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, which will collect and utilise real-time demand data from health centres countrywide.
This system is expected to drive precision procurement, eliminate stockouts, reduce wastage, and rebuild public confidence in the healthcare supply process.
Source: Twitter
How has KEMSA responded to Aden Duale's call?
The Naivasha forum is also a significant step in KEMSA’s ongoing turnaround strategy, responding to a broader call by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale for a technology-enabled, efficient, and transparent supply chain.
Ejersa stressed the importance of county-level collaboration in ensuring this transformation is successful and sustainable.
He also urged counties with outstanding debts to settle their accounts to maintain uninterrupted delivery of medical commodities.
At the same time, he encouraged counties to take advantage of the Social Health Authority (SHA) to widen access to quality healthcare, especially at the grassroots level.
Acknowledging the financial challenges facing the Authority, Ejersa noted that KEMSA’s not-for-profit commercial model reinvests all revenues into a national revolving fund.
He said the agency is rethinking its approach to become leaner, more efficient, and more sustainable as it works towards raising its Order Fill Rate to above 90 percent as part of its 2025–2030 Sustainable Growth Strategy.
Why did KEMSA conduct nationwide stocktaking?
In a related story previously covered by TUKO.co.ke, KEMSA began a nationwide stocktaking operation aimed at improving accuracy and transparency in the delivery of medical supplies.
The exercise, which rolled out across all KEMSA warehouses, was part of a wider reform effort to align physical stock with system records and boost the reliability of Kenya’s health supply chain.
It involved capturing key data like expiry dates and batch numbers, with the findings set to inform KEMSA’s audited financial statements and meet regulatory requirements.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
