Hospitals Face Shortage of Essential Medicines

Hospitals across Kenya are reporting critical shortages of essential medicines, raising serious concerns about access to basic treatment for many patients. In Nairobi County, several public hospitals — including Mama Lucy, Pumwani, and Mbagathi — have seen their supplies of key drugs dwindle after the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) cut deliveries. The supply disruption, officials say, is tied to unpaid debts, which have forced hospitals to rely on other, less efficient means of procuring basic medicines.
This problem is not isolated to Nairobi. In Turkana County, residents and health workers have reported that essential medicines such as antimalarials and common painkillers are missing from local health facilities, compelling patients to purchase them from private pharmacies at higher prices. Meanwhile, the county has recently tried to fill the gap by flagging off a KSh 120 million consignment of medical supplies for its 234 health facilities — but it remains to be seen whether this will fully close the access gap.
Behind the shortages are deeper supply-chain challenges. KEMSA itself has acknowledged serious funding constraints. According to a recent report, its order-to-fulfillment rate remains low (around 43%), partly due to debts owed by counties. This under-supply affects not just hospitals but lower-level health centers and dispensaries, which the Ministry of Health has identified as having significant gaps in their essential medicine stocks.
The government is under pressure to act. President William Ruto announced a KSh 10 billion facility provision to help KEMSA refill its stocks and replenish essential medicine supplies, including life-saving drugs, across county hospitals. Still, some experts caution that long-term solutions — such as improving financial management at both national and county levels — are necessary to prevent future shortages that jeopardize patient care.