The government has halted parallel importation of medicines and other health technologies, seeking to tighten oversight of pharmaceutical imports and shield Kenyans from substandard and falsified medical products.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced the decision on Thursday, explaining that all medicines and health technologies entering the country will now be imported only through approved channels. He said the change will ensure that products meet the required standards for quality, safety, and efficacy.
Parallel importation involves bringing medicines into the market without the patent holder’s consent through alternative supply channels. The government stated that stopping the practice will strengthen regulatory control by giving authorities the ability to verify product quality and track medicines throughout the supply chain.
“The government has halted parallel importation of medicines and other health technologies to strengthen regulatory oversight, safeguard patient safety and ensure that all medical products entering the country meet approved quality, safety, and efficacy standards,” Duale said.
He added that the move is part of efforts to build a more coordinated, accountable, and reliable healthcare system while protecting patients from unsafe medicines.
“We decided to clean up the market by stopping all parallel imports, which had become rampant and caused significant problems in our country. As we speak, we have stopped the parallel importation of medicines and other health technologies. If you were in that business, it is time to look for another one,” he said.
Duale said the government has not approved any applications for parallel importation of medicines since October 1, 2025.
“Since October 1, 2025, not a single parallel import has been approved for entry into the country, and I do not believe any will be approved again. We made a deliberate decision to clean up the market and end parallel imports,” he added.
The move comes as the government steps up its crackdown on substandard and falsified medicines. It has launched an Interministerial Steering Committee to coordinate implementation of Kenya’s National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products as concerns grow about the dangers posed by fake drugs.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in every 10 medical products in Africa is substandard or falsified. It says those products contribute to more than 267,000 deaths each year from ineffective antimalarial medicines, and another 169,271 deaths linked to poor-quality antibiotics used to treat severe pneumonia in children.
