Kenya plans to raise local production of medicines and other health commodities from the current 30% to at least 80% by 2030, as the government moves to strengthen the country's health supply chain.
The Ministry of Health says the push for increased domestic manufacturing is part of efforts to ensure patients receive the right medicines, in the required quantities and at the health facilities where they are needed.
Dr Nazila Ganatra, Director for Health Products and Technologies at the Ministry of Health, said Kenya is increasingly relying on digital systems to improve how medicines and other health commodities are planned and managed.
The Ministry said having sufficient medicine is only part of the challenge, with effective management also requiring health products to be available in the correct quantities and locations.
In a statement issued on Sunday ahead of the Kenya Health Summit, the Ministry of Health emphasised the importance of ensuring medicines are not only available, but also supplied in the right quantities and at the facilities where they are needed.
“Having enough medicine is important. Having the right medicine, in the right quantities and where patients need it, matters just as much.”
One of the systems being used is the National Logistics Management Information System, which supports forecasting and planning for medicines and other health commodities.
According to the ministry, the system is intended to help health authorities anticipate demand and improve the distribution of supplies across the health system.
The approach is also designed to reduce three major supply-chain challenges: stock-outs, expiry of medicines and overstocking.
Stock-outs can leave patients without essential medicines, while overstocking can result in products expiring before they are used and create unnecessary pressure on health budgets.
Kenya is also implementing a track-and-trace system aimed at monitoring medicines throughout the supply chain.
The system is designed to follow health products from the manufacturer to the patient, strengthening efforts to ensure that medicines entering and moving through the health system are genuine, safe and effective.
“Kenya is also implementing a track-and-trace system designed to follow medicines from the manufacturer to the patient and strengthen assurance that products are genuine, safe and effective.” The Ministry of Health stressed.
The digital measures form part of wider efforts to improve medicine access and strengthen accountability in the health products supply chain.
At the same time, the government is seeking to reduce reliance on imported health commodities by significantly increasing local manufacturing capacity.
The ministry said Kenya currently produces about 30% of its health commodities locally and is targeting at least 80% by 2030.
The expansion is expected to place greater emphasis on domestic production as Kenya seeks to build a more resilient health supply chain.
The Ministry of Health will discuss medicine access, product safety and local manufacturing during the Kenya Health Summit, scheduled for August 18 and 19, 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.
The summit is expected to bring together stakeholders to discuss measures aimed at improving access to safe and effective medicines while strengthening Kenya's capacity to produce health commodities locally.
The ministry said the discussions will also provide an opportunity to examine how digital technologies can support better planning, management and monitoring of medicines.
Kenya's 2030 target therefore combines increased domestic production with digital management systems, with the government seeking to improve availability while ensuring that medicines reaching patients are safe, genuine and effective.