Health facilities that rely on supplies from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) have been advised to plan ahead after the agency announced a five-day closure of its distribution centres in July for its annual stocktaking exercise.
In a public notice issued on June 9, KEMSA said its Nairobi and regional distribution centres will remain closed from July 6 to July 10 as it undertakes a nationwide audit of medical supplies stored in its warehouses.
The authority said all normal receipt and dispatch of medicines and other health commodities will be suspended during the exercise.
“We wish to notify our esteemed customers and the general public that we shall close our Nairobi and Regional Distribution Centres for the annual stocktake effective Monday 6th to Friday 10th July 2026,” KEMSA said in the notice.
Despite the temporary closure, the agency assured health facilities that emergency requests for medical supplies will continue to be handled.
“During this period, receipt and dispatch of medical supplies will be suspended. Only emergency cases shall be attended to,” the authority added.
Normal operations are expected to resume on Monday, July 13.
Stock-taking is one of the most important ways through which KEMSA ensures accountability within its operations by conducting physical counts on all medicines or medical supplies available in all their storage facilities and comparing them against the inventory kept within the inventory management systems.
This process also entails batch number checking and date of expiry to ensure that the medicines stored are safe for consumption.
According to KEMSA, the stock-taking process allows them to monitor the stock availability, detect any expired or damaged products, and hence reduce any losses incurred.
The findings are also used in preparing the authority’s financial reports and guiding decisions on the supply of medicines to hospitals and health centres across the country.
With the closure now confirmed, hospitals and other health facilities have been urged to assess their stock levels and make the necessary arrangements before the exercise begins in early July.
