Public hospitals turn to expensive drugs on lower Kemsa supplies

The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) delivered only 41 percent of medicines and medical supplies ordered by public health facilities for the financial year ending June 2025. This fill rate, far below the internal target of 90 percent, forced some facilities to turn to more expensive sources. A mounting debt of Sh6.28 billion owed by county governments has worsened the situation, leading to delivery delays of up to 24.2 days for smaller facilities.