Kenya is facing renewed scrutiny over the sale of illicit medicines after two people were arrested in a nationwide operation targeting pharmacies suspected of stocking stolen and expired medical products.
The United States Agency for International Development’s Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG) said on Monday, September 14, that it had spearheaded the operation alongside Kenyan authorities to disrupt the illegal sale and distribution of medicines.
The crackdown covered 18 pharmaceutical premises across the country and resulted in two arrests. A further 11 individuals were ordered to report for additional investigations or court proceedings, while at least four pharmacies were closed or sealed.
“The USAID OIG-led operation targeted 18 pharmaceutical premises across Kenya. Enforcement actions included two arrests, 11 individuals being compelled to report for further investigative or court proceedings, and the closure and/or sealing of at least four pharmacies for various illegal schemes and regulatory violations,” USAID OIG stated.
Investigators had spent weeks tracing the movement of medical supplies suspected to have been diverted from authorised distribution channels and eventually sold through commercial pharmacies.
The investigation focused on Kenya’s pharmaceutical supply chain, which is responsible for ensuring medicines and other medical commodities move through approved channels before reaching patients.
USAID OIG conducted the operation in partnership with Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi also supported the operation through its Regional Security Office, which officials said provided instrumental assistance during the investigation and enforcement exercise.
Authorities said the raids uncovered several illegal schemes and regulatory breaches, prompting the closure or sealing of some of the targeted premises.
Thousands of medical products were seized during the operation, including more than 2,000 co-trimoxazole antibiotic tablets that investigators traced to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
The medicines were intended to move through designated distribution channels but were instead discovered in commercial premises, raising concerns about the diversion of publicly supplied medical commodities.
Investigators also recovered hundreds of other pharmaceutical products, including expired, defective and unregistered medicines as well as improperly distributed tablets, capsules and diagnostic test strips.
Some of the seized products were suspected to have been diverted from global health programmes operated by United Nations agencies.
Investigators also uncovered indications that some pharmaceutical products were being moved illegally across Kenya’s borders, adding an international dimension to the crackdown.
The latest operation comes amid heightened concern over the circulation of counterfeit and illicit medicines in the Kenyan market. In July, the Ministry of Health raised a national alarm over the growing availability of fake medicines, prompting authorities to intensify surveillance and enforcement against pharmaceutical outlets dealing in counterfeit products.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) subsequently warned about the circulation of counterfeit HIV medicines, test kits, dialysis products and erectile dysfunction drugs.
The concerns also prompted Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to ban the delivery of antibiotics by motorcycle riders, citing concerns over unregulated online pharmaceutical vendors and the distribution of medicines outside approved channels.
The wider crackdown resulted in the closure of more than 200 pharmaceutical outlets that were found to be non-compliant, while dozens of individuals accused of operating as unqualified or rogue pharmacists were arrested.
The enforcement efforts followed reports suggesting that as many as one in three medicines in some regions could be counterfeit, raising concerns about patient safety and the integrity of Kenya’s pharmaceutical supply chain.
