Kenyan Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has highlighted the recently announced policy of President William Ruto to make the country East Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing hub by 2030, and export pharmaceuticals across the whole of the continent. Murkomen was delivering the keynote address at the ceremony for the awarding of the International Air Transport Association’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators Pharma certification to Kenya Airways Cargo. (Kenya has an executive presidential political system, so a Kenyan Cabinet Secretary is equivalent to a South African Cabinet Minister.)

Currently, the Kenyan pharmaceutical industry holds only a 30% share of the country’s domestic pharmaceuticals market, which has a total value of 100-billion shillings (about $732-million), he noted. Although Kenya exports pharmaceutics to the East Africa Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and elsewhere in Africa, these exports are currently worth only 6.4-billion shillings (a little under $47-million).

As the total African pharmaceutical market is worth 1.4-trillion shillings (more than $7.3-billion), this means that Kenya holds a “paltry” 0.04% share of that market. The aim of the Kenyan government is to increase the country’s share to 5%, with a value of 68-billion shillings (about $498-million).

“To get there, one of the key challenges that we need to address is the multiple limitations in the supply chain, specifically the transport logistics of pharmaceuticals,” he emphasised. “This brings to the fore the urgent need to set standards and regulations that will ensure pharma cargo is handled with utmost care.”

The transport and storage of pharmaceuticals has to comply with the requirements of their manufacturers. Proper handling of temperature-controlled and time-sensitive pharmaceuticals will strengthen Kenya as a manufacturer and distributor of these products. Thus, the Kenyan government will enact the necessary protocols and regulatory standards to ensure rapid, efficient and consistent delivery of products that are time-sensitive, temperature-controlled and high-value. Compliance, accountability, transparency, reliability and consistency in the handling of pharmaceuticals will be upheld.

“As the government, we will continue investing in the health sector and manufacturing industry and boost the country’s current capacity in the manufacturing of health products including medicine and associated medical consumables for both internal and export markets,” he assured.