KEMSA commends exemplary pharmacies, urges counties to clear bills

The country’s medical supplies regulator convened a national workshop in Naivasha, involving pharmacists from all 47 counties, senior Ministry of Health (MOH) officials from the Directorate of Health Products and Technology (DPHT) and KEMSA leadership. 

The convention sought to align medical supply priorities with real-time health demands.

“This isn’t just another meeting—it’s a reset,” said Dr. Waqo Ejersa, CEO of KEMSA. “We are re-engineering our systems, policies, and partnerships so that every shilling count, every product matter, and no Kenyan is left without the medicine they need. The era of blind procurement is over.”

The authority is rolling out an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that the the CEO, Dr. Waqo Ejersa, says will be anchored on data insights. 

The ERP will capture real-time demand data from health facilities nationwide and guide precision procurement.

“This is about more than moving boxes, systems, and stocks. It’s about saving and transforming lives,” Dr. Ejersa stressed. “When county pharmacists tell us what’s needed and we act on it with speed and accuracy, we save lives.”

The CEO urged counties to clear their outstanding KEMSA debts to ensure smooth supply of essential comodities.

Dr. Ejersa noted that KEMSA has since rethought their business model so as to become more sustainable, leaner and smarter.

“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 said.