Health authorities and pharmacists honored as Kemsa reorganizes the healthcare supply chain system
The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has unveiled its 2025-2030 Sustainable Growth Strategy, with a focus on transforming the health supply chain through digitalization, data-driven decision-making, and operational sustainability. The strategy aims to achieve a more efficient, transparent, and responsive medical supplies system, raising the order fill rate to over 90% and supporting universal health coverage.
At the heart of this strategy is the new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This system is designed to capture real-time demand data from frontline health facilities nationwide, integrating closely with national digital health platforms. It serves as a Logistics Management Information System (LMIS), digitizing stocktaking and supply chain records, and providing precision procurement based on actual needs rather than guesswork.
Dr Waqo Ejersa, KEMSA's CEO, emphasized the ERP system's role in ending stockouts, cutting waste, and restoring faith in the public health system. He stated that the system aims to transform lives by saving them. Dr Ejersa also urged counties to clear pending debts to KEMSA to prevent disruption in the supply of essential medical commodities.
The four-day national workshop in Naivasha brought together pharmacists from all 47 counties, senior officials from the Ministry of Health, and KEMSA leadership. The event celebrated counties that have shown leadership by allocating dedicated budgets for health products, honoring payments to KEMSA on time, and aligning procurement with the real-time needs of their populations. Recognized counties include Machakos, Kitui, Elgeyo Marakwet, Turkana, Mandera, Kwale, Nyeri, Meru, Narok, Kisumu, and Busia.
Sixteen individual pharmacists were awarded for their exemplary leadership in health supply chain management. Dr Alex Oindi (Machakos), Dr Beatrice Muia (Kitui), and Dr Brian Muyokani (Turkana) were among those honored for innovations in procurement and their commitment to stakeholder collaboration.
As a not-for-profit agency, KEMSA reinvestes every shilling back into its revolving fund to keep its pipeline strong. The strategy emphasizes becoming leaner, smarter, and more sustainable by reinvesting revenues into a national revolving fund and improving procurement accuracy based on real-time data from health facilities. This approach is expected to enable universal health coverage, supporting the government’s Digital Health Superhighway strategy.
Dr Ejersa reaffirmed KEMSA's commitment to reshaping Kenya's healthcare supply system through technology, transparency, and partnership. He stated that the event marked a "strategic reset" and the end of the era of blind procurement. The new ERP system being rolled out by KEMSA will enable real-time tracking of demand and support precision procurement, ensuring sustained improvement in medical supplies delivery nationwide.
In summary, KEMSA's Sustainable Growth Strategy hinges on full digitization, real-time data integration, and smarter procurement enabled by the new ERP system to ensure sustained improvement in medical supplies delivery nationwide. The goal is to save lives through speed and accuracy in supply management.
The new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, central to KEMSA's Sustainable Growth Strategy, aims to revolutionize the health-and-wellness sector by digitalizing stocktaking and supply chain records, providing precision procurement, and ending stockouts, ultimately saving lives. Dr Ejersa, KEMSA's CEO, urges counties to address pending debts to ensure the sustainability of the science-driven health supply system, supporting universal health coverage and aligned with the government’s Digital Health Superhighway strategy.
