The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) faces renewed scrutiny after official audit findings revealed that essential medicines used to treat HIV/AIDS, cancer and malaria worth nearly Sh 1 billion expired inside its warehouses.
The findings, contained in official audit reports, have intensified concerns over the management of Kenya’s medical supply chain and raised questions about how life-saving medicines remained on shelves until they became unusable.
The audit identified expired and unrecorded donor-funded stocks valued at approximately Sh 914 million. The supplies included oncology drugs used in cancer treatment, pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceutical medical products that should have reached health facilities and patients.
The findings paint a troubling picture for a country where many patients frequently struggle to access essential medicines through public health facilities.
According to the audit, a significant portion of the expired stock never appeared in KEMSA’s official financial records.
Auditors stated that KEMSA excluded medical commodities worth approximately Sh 367.4 million from its books despite the supplies having already expired.
The revelations emerge against the backdrop of repeated complaints from healthcare facilities regarding medicine shortages.
Many public hospitals have periodically reported inadequate supplies of antiretroviral drugs, cancer treatment products and malaria-related medicines, forcing patients to seek alternatives or purchase medicines from private facilities.
The audit points to multiple failures within the medical supply chain that may have contributed to the losses.
Auditors cited poor inventory management systems, weak demand forecasting, delays in issuing distribution instructions and logistical bottlenecks within supply operations.
These challenges reportedly created conditions where supplies remained in storage for prolonged periods instead of reaching health facilities in time.
The report also indicated that changes in national treatment guidelines played a role in reducing demand for certain products.
When governments revise treatment protocols, some medicines may become less frequently prescribed or replaced by newer alternatives.
Without accurate forecasting and faster supply adjustments, stocks can remain unused and eventually expire.
Auditors further linked the problem to low uptake from devolved county facilities. Under Kenya’s healthcare structure, county governments request medical supplies according to local demand.
Reports suggest that some facilities either delayed placing requests or ordered lower quantities than anticipated, leaving some commodities sitting in warehouses.
KEMSA operates largely through a pull-based distribution model, where hospitals and health facilities request medicines rather than automatically receiving predetermined allocations.
While the system aims to improve efficiency and reduce unnecessary deliveries, delays in ordering can create inventory challenges if demand projections fail to align with actual consumption patterns.
The latest findings suggest weaknesses in the system may have contributed to substantial wastage.
The report also highlighted broader concerns regarding KEMSA’s inventory management systems and historical audit questions involving medical supplies.
Over the years, various reports have emerged raising concerns about missing health commodities and inconsistencies in stock management.
