Duale launches committee to combat fake and substandard medical products
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, July 1, 2026Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has launched a national Interministerial Steering Committee (ISC) to coordinate the implementation of Kenya’s National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products, an important step towards addressing the presence of unsafe medical products in the country’s healthcare system.
Speaking during the inauguration on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, CS Duale cited the substandard and falsified medical products as a great public health, economic and national security problem. He said that the circulation of fake and substandard medicines is responsible for treatment failures, the creation of antimicrobial resistance and preventable deaths.
“They cause treatment failure. They contribute to antimicrobial resistance. They also increase healthcare costs. You know, imagine you use this drug, it doesn’t work, you have to buy another one, and you have to see another doctor. They undermine the confidence in our healthcare system, and more so, they undermine universal health coverage,” Duale said.
“Networks involved in the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sales of falsified medical products do not recognise institutional mandates. Neither do they recognise jurisdictional boundaries.”
He added that the issue also risks creating public doubt over the healthcare system and hinders the successful rollout of the government’s Taifa Care programme and the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The CS has said that the committee will be the top governance body to coordinate, oversee, and guide the implementation of the National Action Plan through strategic leadership, policy guidance, and inter-agency coordination. It facilitates the coordination of work among institutions with complementary mandates to enhance cooperation in the prevention, detection, investigation, and response to substandard and falsified medical products and in the resolution of policy, legal, operational, regulatory, and resource challenges.
Enhanced regulatory frameworks
The cabinet secretary observed that Kenya has taken significant strides to bolster its pharmaceutical regulatory frameworks to safeguard Kenyans against substandard drugs. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) received 1,413 complaints about product quality, resolved 99 product recalls, received 32,833 reports of adverse drug reactions and released 18 public alerts regarding suspected falsified medicines between 2021 and 2025.
Moreover, Duale pointed to the strengthening of enforcement efforts against drug trafficking, which has been a major issue over the last few years. He shared the news that over 200 unlicensed pharmaceutical establishments have been shut down, and people have been arrested and prosecuted for making, distributing and selling illegal pharmaceutical products.
The cabinet secretary said the Ministry of Health will continue to work with the World Health Organisation and other development partners to build the capacity of the regulators, improve post-market surveillance, strengthen intelligence sharing and expand digital traceability systems, as well as strengthen enforcement measures, all of which are aligned with international best practices, to ensure the integrity of Kenya’s pharmaceutical supply chain.