Council of Governors Rallies Behind KEMSA to Safeguard Access to Essential Medicines

The Council of Governors (COG) has thrown its full weight behind the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) in a united effort to streamline Kenya’s health supply chain and end the chronic shortages of essential medicines across counties. Announced at a high-level forum held at Lake Naivasha Resort, this strong backing empowers KEMSA to fast-track comprehensive reforms aimed at dismantling entrenched bottlenecks and ensuring that life-saving health products reach every health facility on time.

This renewed commitment comes on the heels of last week’s KEMSA Board announcement of a 100-day Rapid Result Initiative designed to jumpstart operations and push the Order Fill Rate to a targeted 70%. The initiative reflects KEMSA’s determination to improve stock availability and delivery performance an effort fully endorsed and supported by COG.

A key element of this reform drive is KEMSA’s active collaboration with County Pharmacists nationwide, demonstrating the Authority’s seriousness about adopting a demand-driven procurement model tailored to meet real customer needs. By placing patients and health facilities at the heart of procurement decisions, KEMSA is forging a more responsive and accountable system that embodies its core values of patient-first service and customer focus.

Ms. Khatra Ali, Director of Health Services, speaking on behalf of COG CEO Mary Mwiti underscored that this partnership represents a critical juncture. “Our support for KEMSA is rooted in the urgent need to deliver efficient, reliable health commodities no Kenyan should suffer due to system failures,” she said. Khatra positioned the forum as a rallying call for accountability, innovation, and collaboration among all stakeholders to elevate supply chain performance and guarantee uninterrupted medicine access nationwide.

Building on progress from the June 17 consultative meeting, Khatra praised KEMSA’s strides in improving forecasting and delivery but emphasized that counties must simultaneously overhaul their ordering and inventory management systems to keep pace. She further highlighted the introduction of clear branding on all medical supplies as a vital measure to eliminate drug diversion and restore public trust in the health system.

The forum also tackled the mounting challenge of county debts owed to KEMSA, with Khatra urging sustainable financial solutions to safeguard and stabilize health services. She concluded by reaffirming that the partnership between COG and KEMSA is “a shared responsibility” focused on delivering measurable reforms bringing an end to empty shelves and broken promises.

As deliberations continue in Naivasha, all stakeholders are called to act with speed and deliver tangible results ensuring every Kenyan can count on timely access to essential medicines, now and for the future.