Pharmacy and Poisons Board — Kenya's medical products regulator that oversees pharmaceutical compliance, recalls counterfeit medicines, and conducts enforcement operations against illegal drug outlets.
… He noted that the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has the mandate to regulate all medical products and ensure they meet the highest standards of safety, quality and efficacy. …
… Between 2021 and 2025, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) recorded 1,413 product quality complaints, coordinated 99 product recalls, received 32,833 adverse drug reaction reports and issued 18 public alerts on suspected falsified medicines. …
Viagra, HIV kits, Truvada among fake health products in Kenyan market; PPB warns By Tabitha Rotich July 01, 2026 03:04 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Audio By Vocalize The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) …
… The AI Bill 2026 received its first reading in the Senate on April 2, 2026, while the lesser-known document, already in force, was issued by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board in February as guidelines for regulating medical device software in Kenya (MDSW). …
… The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) says the fake products have been detected through enhanced market surveillance.Speaking during the launch of the Kenya National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products, PPB Director of Product Safety Dr Edward Abwao has warne …
… This is a milestone expected to strengthen oversight of medical products, boost local manufacturing, and improve access to safe and effective medicines.The Ministry of Health, through the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), is leading reforms aimed at elevating the country's regula …
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 22 — The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has arrested ninety-five individuals and closed forty-eight unlicensed medicine outlets during a week-long enforcement operation in Nairobi and Kajiado counties. …
Audio By VocalizeThe Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has arrested 95 people and shut down 48 unlicensed pharmaceutical premises following a week-long crackdown in Nairobi's informal settlements and parts of Kajiado County. …
… Key priorities included Kenya’s push to scale up local pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthen regulation through the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and deepen its role in global health diplomacy to ensure African interests are better represented in international decision-making. …
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced plans to ban the delivery of antibiotics through boda boda riders as part of efforts to combat counterfeit medicines and illegal online sales of prescription drugs, stating that prescription drugs should only be dispensed through licensed pharmacies.
Why it matters
Health ministry bans boda boda antibiotic deliveries to combat counterfeit medicines and illegal prescription drug sales.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced plans to ban the delivery of antibiotics through boda boda riders as part of efforts to combat counterfeit medicines and illegal online sales of prescription drugs, stating that prescription drugs should only be dispensed through licensed pharmacies.
Japan has committed KSh3 billion to support Kenya's local vaccine manufacturing programme, with the funding to be channelled through the State Department for Medical Services and KEMRI to strengthen research infrastructure and skills development.
The government has closed more than 200 non-compliant pharmaceutical premises as part of an enforcement campaign against counterfeit and substandard medicines. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said fake drugs undermine treatment outcomes and public confidence in healthcare services, and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board has intensified surveillance, product recalls, and public alerts.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board has warned that counterfeit and substandard medicines—including male sexual enhancement drugs, HIV testing kits, and blood thinners—continue to circulate in Kenya. Between 2021 and 2025, the board received 1,413 complaints about health product quality and recalled 99 products from the market.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board has warned that counterfeit medical products including viagra, HIV rapid diagnostic test kits, and dialysis medications are circulating in Kenya, raising patient safety concerns. Between 2021 and 2025, the regulator received 1,413 product quality complaints resulting in 99 medical product recalls.
Kenya's AI Bill 2026, which received its first Senate reading in April, and new Pharmacy and Poisons Board guidelines for medical device software will set compliance requirements for pharmacies, clinics, hospitals, and digital health businesses. The AI Bill classifies AI-assisted medical devices as high-risk, requiring risk assessments, human rights impact assessments, data retention, and compliance reporting, with penalties up to Sh5 million or two years' imprisonment for breaches.
Kenya is working to achieve WHO Maturity Level 3 (ML3) status in pharmaceutical regulation by December this year, which the Ministry of Health says would strengthen oversight of medical products, boost local manufacturing, and improve access to safe and effective medicines. Attaining ML3 status would place Kenya among a select group of African nations with stable and well-functioning regulatory systems.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board arrested 95 individuals and shut down 48 unlicensed medicine outlets during a week-long enforcement operation across Nairobi and Kajiado counties. The closures followed inspections of 155 pharmaceutical premises that uncovered widespread violations of pharmaceutical regulations.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board arrested 95 people and shut down 48 unlicensed pharmaceutical premises following a week-long crackdown across Nairobi's informal settlements and Kajiado County, inspecting 155 premises and seizing approximately 169 cartons of medicines.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale met with senior WHO officials during the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 in Nairobi to discuss global health cooperation, regional health security, and Kenya's health sector reforms under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, including Universal Health Coverage, local pharmaceutical manufacturing, and Africa's role in global health diplomacy.