Also known as: KEMSA
Government agency that supplies essential medicines and health products to public health facilities across Kenya, operating a demand-driven supply model.
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Kenya Medical Supplies Authority
Every mention in the Kenyan press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Capital News
… Ruto said the Finance Bill would provide additional funding to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to address medicine shortages in public hospitals. …
Ruto defends Finance Bill 2026, lists big wins for KenyansCapital News
… He also urged county governments to improve utilisation of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) system by making timely orders and strengthening inventory management. …
PS Oluga Seeks Stronger County Partnership in UHC ImplementationCapital News
… To strengthen medical supply chains, the government has allocated Sh20.9 billion to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), while the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) is set to receive Sh3.1 billion to support health research and innovation. …
Government Allocates Sh177.2 Billion to Health Sector in Push for Universal Health CoverageThe Standard
… The National Treasury proposes a targeted allocation of Sh45.3 billion for the referral hospitals.#BudgetDay2026 pic.twitter.com/uaNSYvTwOA — KTN News (@KTNNewsKE) June 11, 2026 The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has been allocated Sh20.9 billion to improve the supply a …
Big win as Health sector secures Sh177 billion allocationThe Standard
… The Chief Officer said all public medical facilities within the county have adequate supplies of medical supplies to support effective service delivery. “In April, the County Government placed a major order for medicines and medical supplies through KEMSA, supplemented by procure …
Kirinyaga announces plan to promote health workers to ward off strikeCitizen Digital
… He attributed this to a major procurement undertaken through the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) in April, supplemented by purchases from local suppliers for items unavailable through the national agency. …
Kirinyaga County moves to address health workers' grievances amid go-slow threatCapital News
… The county government also announced that it had placed a major order for medicines and medical supplies through the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA). …
Kirinyaga Assures Residents of Uninterrupted Healthcare Amid Health Workers’ Go-SlowCitizen Digital
… Oluga pointed to Kenya's logistical infrastructure as another advantage, citing the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority's last-mile distribution network and ongoing efforts by international agencies to establish regional logistics hubs in the country. …
'We're ready,' PS Oluga says amid reports Americans exposed to Ebola may be sent to KenyaCitizen Digital
… National stocks remain in a critical state, with the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) reporting that most commodities are below the recommended minimum stock level of 16 months. …
Condom shortage raises fears of rise in unplanned pregnanciesThe Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has handed over a refurbished medicine store at Port Reitz Sub-County Hospital in Mombasa as part of efforts to improve storage of essential medicines. The authority has also supported similar improvements at hospitals in Kilifi and Kwale counties, benefiting more than 300,000 people.
28 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has handed over a refurbished medicine store at Port Reitz Sub-County Hospital in Mombasa as part of efforts to improve storage of essential medicines. The authority has also supported similar improvements at hospitals in Kilifi and Kwale counties, benefiting more than 300,000 people.
28 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority has handed over a refurbished medicine store at Port Reitz Sub-County Hospital in Mombasa to improve quality and safety of essential medicines serving more than 300,000 people in the region. The upgrade strengthens medicine storage, stock management and protection of medical supplies as part of KEMSA's Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
28 October 2026 · Capital News →
President William Ruto has called on management boards of dispensaries and health centres to prioritise equipping facilities with drugs rather than building infrastructure, and promised more resources for these facilities and improved drug availability through streamlined KEMSA operations.
18 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President William Ruto said he will proceed with constructing a major 300-bed hospital in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, despite opposition from Governor George Natembeya, stating that healthcare infrastructure is a public necessity that should not be subject to political differences.
18 October 2026 · The Standard →
The Ministry of Health has pressed Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to address essential drug shortages at level four and three hospitals, where supply stands at around 51 per cent despite KEMSA's refill rate reaching 92 per cent. The PS for Medical Supplies attributed the gap partly to collusion between pharmacists and chemists siphoning drugs, and said the government is pursuing governance reforms and local manufacturing to improve drug access and reduce costs.
14 October 2026 · The Standard →
The Principal Secretary for Medical Services called for stronger pharmacist leadership, evidence-based planning, and closer collaboration between hospitals and KEMSA to improve availability of essential health products and achieve Universal Health Coverage. He emphasized that pharmacists must play a strategic role in determining which medicines are needed, in what quantities, and when.
13 October 2026 · Capital News →
The Ministry of Health and KEMSA have called on hospital pharmacists and health facilities to take a central leadership role in managing medical supplies, arguing that procurement alone cannot resolve persistent drug shortages and stock-outs in public facilities. The Health Principal Secretary emphasized that achieving Universal Health Coverage depends on data-driven health products and technologies management rather than simply buying commodities.
12 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Kenya Human Rights Commission has warned the government against repeating human rights violations from the 2024 floods as the country braces for heavy El Niño rains, urging that human rights be central to preparations and relief operations. The commission notes that about 80 per cent of the country is at risk of severe flooding, with all 47 counties expected to be severely affected, and warns that emergency interventions could disproportionately affect vulnerable communities in informal settlements.
30 September 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya Medical Supplies Authority says the country is stocked out of combined oral contraceptives and progestin-only pills, with new supplies of combined oral contraceptives expected in December following a Sh250 million allocation from the Ministry of Health. Other contraceptive methods including injectable contraceptives, condoms, implants, and intrauterine devices remain available.
25 September 2026 · The Standard →
Taxpayers face losses of approximately Sh1 billion in expired medicines, prompting the Senate Health Committee to demand answers from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board over management, inspection and disposal gaps. A KEMSA report revealed that expired stock included drugs for cancer, HIV and malaria treatment, raising questions about weak inspection capacity, poor stock management and distribution delays.
18 September 2026 · Capital News →
West Pokot County has received health products and technologies worth Sh81 million from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority for distribution to 173 health facilities across the county, including 14 newly opened or reactivated dispensaries receiving KEMSA supplies for the first time.
15 September 2026 · The Standard →
President Ruto announced a government agreement with Pfizer that will slash prices of medicines for breast, stomach, colon, lung, prostate, and oesophageal cancers, as well as leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, by more than seven times in some cases — reducing treatment cycle costs from up to Sh1 million to below Sh50,000. The deal, signed with the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority, aims to ease patients' financial burden and accelerate access to newer cancer treatments.
1 September 2026 · Capital News →
President Ruto announced a deal with Pfizer that will reduce the cost of medicines for nine cancers — including breast, stomach, colon, lung, prostate, oesophageal cancers, leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma — by more than seven times, with some drugs falling from about Ksh.1 million to under Ksh.50,000 per cycle.
31 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kenya's Ministry of Health has announced a Health Sector El Niño Contingency Plan for the 2026/2027 season to mitigate health risks from anticipated heavy rains, flooding and displacement. The plan brings together national and county governments, emergency agencies, humanitarian organisations and development partners to prevent and respond to flood-related health emergencies, particularly water- and food-borne diseases.
29 August 2026 · Capital News →
A 2026 Health Summit brought together policymakers, health workers, and stakeholders to assess Kenya's progress toward Universal Health Coverage, with President Ruto presenting a scorecard of his 2022 health manifesto commitments, including the Social Health Authority (SHA) which has enrolled 32.2 million Kenyans to replace the NHIF.
22 August 2026 · The Standard →
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki called for stronger coordination between national and county governments to deliver effective health reforms and Universal Health Coverage, emphasizing that counties manage frontline facilities and that system failures in any component immediately affect patient care.
20 August 2026 · The Standard →
The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority has increased its order fill rate from about 40 per cent in 2022 to more than 90 per cent by redesigning its approach around demand, efficiency, predictability, technology and data. KEMSA CEO Dr Waqo Ejersa said the authority consulted stakeholders to understand what health facilities actually needed, moving beyond simply managing nearly 3,800 Stock Keeping Units.
19 August 2026 · Capital News →
The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority has improved its Order Fill Rate from 40% in 2022 to over 90%, driven by a shift from a push-based supply model to a demand-driven strategy that consults county stakeholders and health facilities on actual needs.
19 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President William Ruto visited KEMSA's exhibition stand at the Kenya Health Summit in Nairobi to see how digital systems are improving efficiency and accountability in the health supply chain. KEMSA said its order fill rate has risen to 90 per cent from 40 per cent three years ago, and highlighted its Paperless KEMSA system and last-mile delivery model for health commodities to facilities.
18 August 2026 · Capital News →
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has defended the Kenya Kwanza administration's health reforms, saying significant progress has been made in improving access to medicines, equipment and healthcare workers. The Government is preparing to provide details on the Universal Health Coverage programme, branded Taifa Care, during a town hall meeting.
18 August 2026 · The Standard →
President William Ruto has accused the defunct National Health Insurance Fund system of enabling theft from sick Kenyans through claims for procedures that never happened, fictitious patients and inflated bills. He called digital health systems essential to closing loopholes and described Universal Health Coverage as one of the government's most consequential social transformation efforts.
18 August 2026 · The Standard →
At the Kenya Health Summit 2026, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula pledged Parliament's full support for Government reforms aimed at transforming Kenya's health sector and advancing Universal Health Coverage, emphasising Parliament's critical role through legislation, resource allocation and oversight.
18 August 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya will host the Health Summit 2026 on August 18–19, 2025, at KICC in Nairobi, with President William Ruto expected to attend. The summit will showcase progress on Universal Health Coverage and the Government's health reforms under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
17 August 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya's Ministry of Health and the UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2025 to deepen healthcare partnership, with key areas including vaccine production, expansion of primary healthcare services through the CHP programme, and strategic collaboration.
17 August 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya and the United States have signed a five-year health cooperation agreement worth approximately USD1.6 billion (Sh206 billion) to strengthen the country's healthcare system and advance Universal Health Coverage. The Strategic Objective Grant Agreement, signed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi with a US delegation, establishes a framework to guide health cooperation, align US investments with Kenya's health priorities, and strengthen local institutions and infrastructure.
15 July 2026 · Capital News →
The Ministry of Health is establishing a government-led wheelchair service delivery system to address Kenya's estimated unmet need of about 550,000 wheelchairs. The Principal Secretary for Medical Services chaired a consultative meeting with service providers, manufacturers, and partners to explore local manufacture, tax relief on components, and improved coordination.
15 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Principal Secretary for Medical Services chaired a meeting of the Healthcare IT Digitization Programme Steering Committee, bringing together the Safaricom Consortium, Digital Health Authority, Social Health Authority, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority and other agencies to review progress on Universal Health Coverage digital transformation and accelerate programme delivery.
9 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Medical intern postings in Kenya, once a flashpoint for strikes and industrial action, have become routine and predictable. This year 6,360 interns received posting letters on time, compared to 6,484 last year, marking a shift from the delays and disputes that previously characterised the process.
29 June 2026 · The Standard →
An opinion piece by the Principal Secretary for Medical Services notes that 6,360 young Kenyans will receive posting letters on time this Monday, marking a shift from past delays that triggered industrial action in the health sector.
26 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President William Ruto has increased the duty-free allowance for returning travellers from Ksh.39,000 to Ksh.260,000 when assenting to the Finance Bill 2026, aiming to address concerns from Kenyans living and working abroad and other visitors.
23 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →