Former Cabinet Minister Moses Kuria has sparked controversy after alleging that a powerful “pharmaceutical mafia” is manipulating Kenya’s drug market. Kuria claims that medicines sold locally are not only significantly more expensive than in other countries but also of poorer quality, exposing Kenyans to health risks and needless financial strain
Speaking on November 26, 2025, Kuria said medicines sold in Kenya not only cost a great deal more than in most countries but are also inferior in quality, something he says places citizens at risk while straining already stretched household budgets.
He narrated a story that involved a close friend, an Indian doctor who fell ill while visiting Nairobi. According to the former minister, the doctor was shocked at the price of basic over-the-counter medication, which he said was much higher than what he usually pays elsewhere.
“Pharmaceutical products in Kenya cost 10 times more compared to other countries. Secondly, the molecule strength is only 10% of the quality you find in other countries,” said Kuria.
He further accused the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of failing in its regulatory mandate, alleging that the board shields the very cartels it is supposed to police.
“All countries have healthcare cartels. But in Kenya, the pharma industry mafia owns a country,” he said.
During the same address, Kuria congratulated Mosop MP Abraham Kirwa, who has returned to parliamentary sessions after a long and difficult recovery. Kirwa suffered a stroke live on radio during his 54th birthday broadcast in late 2023 and since then has been undergoing treatment in Nairobi, Dubai, and the United States.
His protracted absence prompted one of his constituents to file a petition in the High Court, praying that his seat be declared vacant; the case is expected to be mentioned on December 1, 2025.
Still recovering, Kirwa has recalled his own disturbing experience at the hands of the healthcare system. He said that he was denied crucial medication while admitted to a Nairobi hospital, adding that doctors in Dubai later warned him against taking the drugs administered locally.
The medicine he was given in Kenya was described as substandard, according to Kirwa, who says his life was saved only because of prompt intervention by specialists abroad.
Kirwa has since called for increased investment in Kenya’s health system, stricter oversight of pharmaceutical imports, and the formation of a board to hold doctors accountable for professional misconduct.
Kuria echoed this call, challenging the Mosop MP to seek an explanation from the Ministry of Health.
“I am happy for Mosop MP Abraham Kirwa for his successful recovery. I now urge him to summon the Ministry of Health to Parliament and ask them what they are doing to track and trace all pharmaceutical products coming to Kenya,” Kuria said.
Based on these allegations, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale ordered the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to withdraw all substandard or unregistered medicines from the Kenyan market immediately.
He also warned that any person found supplying pharmaceutical products which are unsafe would face the full force of the law.