KEMSA to halt operations for five days in stock-take exercise
The closure comes as Health CS Aden Duale announced ongoing reforms at the agency, including a Sh10 billion credit facility and a direct payment model under SHA to improve drug delivery and tackle shortages.
The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) will suspend operations at its Nairobi and regional distribution centres for five days starting July 1 to allow for an annual stock-taking exercise, marking a critical pause in the delivery of medical supplies across the country.
In a public notice on Tuesday, the authority said, “We wish to notify our esteemed customers and the general public that we shall close our Nairobi and Regional Distribution Centers for the annual stock-take effective Tuesday 1st to Friday 4th July 2025.”
During this period, the receipt and dispatch of medical supplies will be suspended. However, the agency confirmed that only emergency cases shall be attended to. Operations will resume on Monday, July 7.
The stock-taking exercise comes at a time when KEMSA is undergoing major restructuring under the Ministry of Health, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Tuesday announcing that the Government is recapitalizing the agency. As part of the reforms, the Government has introduced a Sh10 billion revolving credit facility to ensure a steady supply of medical commodities in the 2025/26 financial year.
Duale said the reforms are part of a larger plan to stabilize KEMSA’s operations and restore confidence in the public health supply chain. He revealed that from now on, public health facilities will begin paying KEMSA directly for medical supplies under the Social Health Authority (SHA), bypassing county government revenue systems.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, this reform is intended to streamline the delivery of medical commodities and improve last-mile efficiency, especially in addressing the persistent shortage of drugs that has hampered primary health care for years.
“The direct payment model will remove bureaucratic delays tied to county revenue systems and ensure health centres receive supplies promptly,” he said.
Duale noted that drug availability remains one of the major concerns in the public health system, and the reforms being implemented are aimed at improving the agency’s order fulfilment rate from the current 47 per cent to 100 per cent. The overall goal, he said, is to enhance reliability, transparency and accountability in the distribution of essential medical supplies nationwide.
KEMSA, established under the KEMSA Act 2013, plays a central role in procuring, warehousing and distributing Health Products and Technologies (HPTs) to all public health institutions and national strategic stock reserves.
