The Ministry of Health announced enhanced measures in the control of medicines with a prescription, among which is the implementation of an online system that will track batch numbers for all health products entering or in circulation within the country.
On December 23, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said in a statement: the system shall be applicable for both imported, exported, and locally manufactured health products with operations of the system effect on January 1, 2026.
According to Duale, batch numbers will need to be declared and shall be legally enforceable by the government in its attempt to closely trace the movement and sale of Prescription-Only Medicines as part of a wider blitz on illegal pharmaceutical trade.
“The system will allow us to track health products through the supply chain, and we will take action if there is misuse or when it is sold unlawfully,” said Duale.
The CS also announced that the ministry has finalized a Track and Authentication Standard for Health Products and Technologies, a device to enhance traceability, accountability, and visibility within the pharmaceutical supply chain.
As part of the preparations for the 2026 licensing cycle, the ministry has heightened the inspections, with 100 per cent of all the licensed wholesalers in the Nairobi region currently being checked. The practitioners who are found breaching the regulations are being referred to the EDC for action.
The sanctions that it applies include suspension or revocation of practising licences. Duale added that over 10 practitioners have so far appeared before the EDC due to issues of compliance.
New members to the EDC were appointed on November 7, and it is anticipated that the board will be fully operational in January 2026. When active, it will address any pending disciplinary cases, as well as process new referrals relating to non-compliant practitioners.
Duale added that the ministry was at an advanced stage of completing the scheduling of medicines, a move that would see clear classifications made publicly available to Kenyans in order to enhance understanding and compliance.
Ministry has given approval for the hiring of more regulatory staff, a move seen bound to increase its inspection capacity and enforcement, especially at the level of retail pharmacies. The CS for Health said that the government is also intensifying public education campaigns, to warn Kenyans against the risks of using prescription-only medicines without proper medical authorisation, as it seeks to prevent misuse to safeguard public health.
