The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) has announced significant reforms aimed at enhancing the implementation of its core mandate. During the flagging off of medical supplies to various counties, Kemsa Board Chair Samuel Tunai highlighted that these reforms will boost the efficiency of the Kemsa supply chain and strengthen collaborations with both national and county governments.
Tunai emphasized Kemsa’s commitment to making health facilities more responsive to local health needs by ensuring timely and sufficient delivery of medical commodities. He acknowledged the necessity of the Authority to achieve its goals, stating that the reforms will facilitate the restructuring of its operations.
“To enhance efficiency and accountability, we are initiating internal reforms, including digitizing our supply chain management through a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and improving our procurement processes to minimize delays and wastage,” Tunai said.
He further explained that accountability will be bolstered through regular performance reviews for staff and departments, allowing for swift identification of bottlenecks and corrective action.
The reforms will also focus on improving procurement and forecasting. “We are investing in research and data-driven decision-making to ensure we can anticipate county needs and avoid stockouts,” Tunai added.
Kemsa is working to mobilize funds to clear pending payments to suppliers, which will enhance its capacity to deliver commodities efficiently and restore confidence among partners. Tunai mentioned that the recapitalization of the health system is a long-term reform intended to strengthen Kemsa’s financial foundation.
He noted that these reforms will involve seeking additional funds from development partners and exploring partnerships to ensure sustainability. However, Tunai raised concerns about the inadequate funding currently facing the Authority, stating that many counties are struggling to pay for the essential health products and technologies (HPTs) they need.
He urged the national government to address these challenges by establishing a central account for Universal Health Care (UHC) where funds can be pooled for counties to access as needed.
This will make the process of ordering and payment more efficient and ensure that counties can always access the supplies they need, without delays or financial hurdles,” he said.
“Central funding mechanism will prevent counties from falling behind on payments, ensuring a continuous supply of essential drugs.”
