By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, 4 July 2026 - The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has dismissed claims that most pharmacies in Nairobi were selling illegal medicines, saying a newspaper headline misrepresented the findings of a regulatory study on parallel imported pharmaceutical products.
In a statement issued on Saturday, PPB Chief Executive Officer Dr Ahmed I. Mohamed said the Daily Nation headline published on June 30, 2026, titled “90% of Nairobi Pharmacies Found Selling Illegal Drugs,”did not accurately reflect the conclusions of the Board's study.
According to the PPB, the study, conducted between September 2023 and October 2024,assessed the availability of parallel imported medicines in the market and did not conclude that the products were illegal, substandard, falsified or unsafe for patient use.
"The headline creates the impression that the medicinal products assessed were illegal, substandard, falsified or unsafe for patient use. This does not accurately reflect the findings of the study," Dr Mohamed said.
The Board explained that the medicines examined were parallel imported medicinal products legally approved under the Pharmacy and Poisons (Parallel Imported Medicinal Substances) Rules, 2019, a regulatory framework designed to improve access to affordable medicines by allowing licensed importers to source genuine products from other markets.
PPB said the medicines involved in the study were manufactured by the original manufacturers and complied with internationally recognised Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
The regulator noted that the parallel importation framework has played an important role in increasing the availability and affordability of essential medicines in Kenya, particularly for patients managing chronic illnesses.
The Board added that, following the implementation of the framework, it introduced additional regulatory reforms to strengthen oversight of parallel imported medicines.
As part of those reforms, no new applications for parallel imported medicinal products have been approved since October 2025,the PPB said.
Dr Mohamed reaffirmed the Board's commitment to protecting public health by ensuring that only medicines meeting the required standards of quality, safety and efficacy are available in the Kenyan market.
He also urged media organisations, stakeholders and members of the public to verify regulatory information directly with the Board before publication to promote accurate and responsible reporting.
Parallel importation remains one of Kenya's policy measures aimed at lowering the cost of essential medicines by permitting licensed importers to procure the same branded products from countries where they are sold at lower prices, while maintaining regulatory oversight to ensure their quality and safety.
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