Kenya strengthens regulation to safeguard medicine quality, patient trust
Kenya is strengthening pharmaceutical regulation, product traceability and supply-chain oversight to ensure patients have access to safe, effective and quality-assured medicines. Pharmacy and Poisons Board Chairperson Dr. John Munyu said patients should receive medicines with confidence that they have been properly assessed, safely stored and supplied through legitimate channels. Addressing the…
Kenya is reinforcing drug regulation, product traceability and supply-chain monitoring to guarantee patients can access safe, effective and quality-assured medications. Pharmacy and Poisons Board Chairperson Dr. John Munyu emphasized that patients must have assurance their medicines have undergone proper assessment, safe storage and legitimate distribution.
Speaking at the 6th PharmaReg & MedDevReg AfriSummit 2026 in Nairobi, presided over by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, Dr. Munyu stressed that robust regulatory frameworks are crucial in building and preserving this trust. Kenya has bolstered its laws, technical abilities, quality systems and regulatory procedures, with a growing emphasis on making regulatory decisions consistent, predictable and risk-based.
Dr. John Munyu highlighted the Pharmacy and Poisons Board's implementation of marketing authorisation renewals to maintain health products under continuous regulatory oversight post-approval. The Board has also enhanced inspections of manufacturers, wholesalers and other facilities to safeguard product quality throughout the supply chain.
He announced plans to strengthen pharmacy practice standards and advance product authentication and traceability, which will allow regulators to trace health products throughout the supply chain and react swiftly to any safety or quality concerns. The Board is also broadening the use of regulatory reliance, enabling assessments and inspection outcomes from trusted regulatory authorities to inform national regulatory decisions.
Dr. Munyu concluded by calling for enhanced collaboration among African regulatory authorities, acknowledging that regulatory maturity, trust, local manufacturing, digital systems and supply-chain security cannot be achieved by a single institution or country working in isolation. The summit, attended by Health Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Oluga, Pharmacy and Poisons Board CEO Dr. Ahmed Mohamed, heads of national regulatory bodies and delegates from across Africa, aimed to facilitate knowledge exchange and partnerships to support practical regulatory action.
Written by urgent.news from KBC's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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