KEMSA targets medicine store upgrades to boost drug safety

The authority has also previously supported medicine store improvements at Mtwapa Sub-County Hospital in Kilifi County and Msambweni County Referral Hospital in Kwale County.

The facility was officially handed over on Monday, October 26, 2026, during a ceremony presided over by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir.

The project is expected to benefit more than 300,000 people served by the hospital and surrounding communities in Changamwe and Jomvu constituencies.

The refurbishment was undertaken under KEMSA’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for the 2025/2026 financial year, following an assessment that identified critical infrastructure deficiencies that previously constrained the hospital's capacity to maintain appropriate storage conditions for medicines and other medical commodities.

KEMSA CEO, Dr Waqo Ejersa argued that proper storage was essential in maintaining the quality and effectiveness of medicines even after they had been delivered to health facilities.

“Protecting the quality of medicines does not end with procurement or delivery. Appropriate storage conditions are equally important in preserving product integrity before medicines reach patients,” said Ejersa.

He added that the improvements would help minimise product deterioration and losses while supporting safer patient care.

According to KEMSA, the improvements are intended to support the safe receipt, storage and distribution of medical commodities while enhancing stock control and the efficient use of available space.

Ejersa noted that medicines could lose their quality when exposed to inappropriate temperatures, moisture, pests or inadequate security, making proper storage infrastructure a critical component of healthcare delivery.

"Medicines are sensitive products whose quality can be compromised by inappropriate temperatures, moisture, pest infestation or inadequate security. Investments in appropriate storage infrastructure are therefore not merely improvements to buildings; they are investments in medicine quality, patient safety and the efficient utilisation of healthcare resources," he said.

The CEO also highlighted the importance of collaboration between KEMSA and county governments in ensuring reliable access to essential medicines.

“Reliable access to essential medicines depends on strong partnerships, predictable financing and effective supply-chain management,” Ejersa said.

Governor Nassir said the county remained committed to working with KEMSA to ensure health facilities had reliable access to quality and affordable medicines and other essential medical supplies.

The Port Reitz project is part of KEMSA’s wider CSR programme, which targets infrastructure and service delivery gaps in healthcare facilities across the country.

It has also undertaken a laboratory project at Nyonjoro Health Centre in Nakuru County and is finalising another laboratory project at Dakabaricha Dispensary in Marsabit County.

KEMSA said the refurbished Port Reitz medicine store had undergone completion checks and had been verified as ready for handover.

The authority, which operates under the Ministry of Health, is mandated to procure, warehouse and distribute medical commodities to public health facilities across Kenya.