By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, July 01, 2026 - Ordering medicine through a mobile phone and having it delivered to the doorstep could soon attract criminal sanctions after the government moved to outlaw the delivery of antibiotics by motorcycle riders in a sweeping crackdown on counterfeit and substandard drugs.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Wednesday announced that antibiotics will no longer be delivered to customers through riders, saying the practice has created dangerous loopholes that are fuelling misuse of medicines and the spread of fake pharmaceutical products across the country.
The directive marks a major policy shift targeting Kenya's fast-growing online pharmacy business, where customers increasingly order medicines through mobile applications and social media platforms for home delivery.
Speaking during the inaugural meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on the Kenya National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products in Nairobi, Duale warned that public convenience should never come at the expense of patient safety.
The CS said the government would tighten regulation of antibiotic sales and distribution as the Pharmacy and Poisons Board raises alarm over the growing infiltration of counterfeit and substandard medicines into the Kenyan market.
"We cannot allow antibiotics to be treated like ordinary consumer goods delivered on demand without proper safeguards," Duale said, warning that inappropriate access to the medicines threatens efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance while exposing patients to dangerous fake drugs.
According to government data, a significant proportion of falsified and substandard medicines are sold through online platforms and informal markets, with global estimates showing that one in every 10 medical products in low- and middle-income countries is either fake or below acceptable quality standards.
The Ministry of Health also announced plans for a nationwide campaign involving both the national and county governments to tackle the growing trade in counterfeit medicines and strengthen public awareness on the dangers posed by fake drugs.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board painted a grim picture of the crisis, warning that falsified medicines are contributing to preventable deaths across the continent.
The board cited estimates indicating that about 267,000 people die in Africa every year after using substandard or falsified medicines.
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In Kenya, authorities identified medicines used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and dialysis medication among products increasingly targeted by counterfeiters because of high consumer demand.
The regulator also faulted poor medicine handling and storage practices in some county health facilities, saying weak supply chain management contributes to deterioration in drug quality before medicines reach patients.
Council of Governors Vice-Chairperson and Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki backed the crackdown, calling for stricter screening of all pharmaceutical products entering the country.
Njuki said stronger surveillance, continuous monitoring and improved reporting systems were necessary to block counterfeit medicines from reaching hospitals, pharmacies and patients.
He also pledged closer collaboration between county governments and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to safeguard the quality of medicines dispensed in devolved health facilities.
The inter-ministerial steering committee brings together the Ministries of Health and Interior alongside other enforcement agencies in a coordinated effort to dismantle networks behind the manufacture, importation and distribution of fake medicines.
The government's latest move signals tougher enforcement against illegal pharmaceutical trade as authorities seek to protect patients from counterfeit drugs while tightening controls on the rapidly expanding digital medicine delivery market.