Kenyans will no longer be allowed to order antibiotics online and have them delivered by boda boda riders after the government announced a major crackdown on the distribution of prescription medicines.
The directive, announced by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, is part of a broader campaign to combat the growing trade in counterfeit medicines and curb the misuse of antibiotics, which health experts say is contributing to antimicrobial resistance.
Speaking during the launch of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on Kenya’s National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products, Duale said antibiotics can no longer be treated like ordinary consumer goods.
“We cannot allow antibiotics to be treated like ordinary consumer goods delivered on demand without proper safeguards,” the CS said, warning that the practice has opened loopholes for fake medicines and irresponsible use of the drugs.
The move is expected to affect online pharmacies, mobile applications and businesses that have been using motorcycle riders to deliver antibiotics directly to customers.
According to the Ministry of Health, the decision is aimed at protecting patients from substandard and falsified medicines, which continue to pose a major public health threat in Kenya and across Africa.
Duale said convenience should never come before patient safety, adding that the government is tightening regulation of the pharmaceutical supply chain to ensure medicines reach patients through approved and accountable channels.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board painted an even grimmer picture, revealing that fake and substandard medicines are contributing to thousands of preventable deaths every year.
The regulator estimates that about 267,000 people die annually in Africa after using falsified or substandard medicines, while global data shows that one in every 10 medical products in low- and middle-income countries fails to meet quality standards.
Council of Governors Vice-Chairperson Muthomi Njuki backed the government’s move, saying stronger surveillance and stricter monitoring are necessary to stop counterfeit medicines from finding their way into hospitals, pharmacies and ultimately to patients.
“We must strengthen surveillance, monitoring and reporting systems to ensure only safe, quality medicines reach Kenyans,” Njuki said, pledging closer cooperation between county governments and national regulators.
The latest directive comes as the government rolls out tougher measures to clean up Kenya’s pharmaceutical sector, including tighter controls on medicine imports and a digital track-and-trace system that will allow authorities to monitor drugs from manufacturers all the way to patients.
Health officials say the reforms are designed to restore confidence in the country’s medicine supply chain while protecting Kenyans from the growing menace of fake drugs.
