Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has urged the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) to accelerate its ongoing reforms to align with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritizes Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking during a strategic engagement with the KEMSA Board and senior management at their Embakasi offices in Nairobi, Duale stressed the urgent need for institutional efficiency and ethical leadership to restore public trust in the country’s health supply chain. “Restoring confidence begins with reform, transparency, and a system that counties and communities can rely on,” he stated.
The CS acknowledged KEMSA’s current efforts and called for the swift finalisation and operationalisation of regulations under the KEMSA Act. He also emphasised the need for full activation of regional warehouses and effective last-mile delivery systems to enhance service delivery and accountability across counties.
“KEMSA must become a high-performing, agile, and ethical institution that delivers for the people,” Duale remarked. “The health of our citizens depends on a supply chain that functions efficiently and reliably.”
During the meeting, KEMSA CEO Dr. Ejersa Waqo outlined the agency’s key reform milestones. He reported a significant performance improvement, including the introduction of a shift system in the last quarter, which has reduced order turnaround time and raised the Order Fill Rate (OFR) from 39% to 51%. The agency aims to raise the OFR above 90%, target four stock turns annually, and reach a throughput of Ksh 13 billion.
Duale expressed optimism that KEMSA would soon achieve a 100% OFR, a critical goal to support the rollout of Taifa Care, Kenya’s universal health insurance initiative.
The Cabinet Secretary was accompanied by the Director General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth. KEMSA Board Chairperson Samuel Tunai and CEO Dr. Waqo hosted the high-level discussions.
The engagement underscores the government’s focus on strengthening institutions like KEMSA to deliver on the promises of UHC and ensure that quality healthcare is accessible to every Kenyan.
