Ministry of Health Warns Kenyans Over Counterfeit Medicines After Raid

What the Raid Uncovered

A joint operation between Kenyan authorities and the USAID Office of Inspector General inspected 18 pharmaceutical premises across the country. 

The exercise led to two arrests and at least four pharmacies being closed or sealed. 

Investigators seized more than 2,000 co-trimoxazole tablets traced back to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), along with other expired, defective and unregistered medical products that had made their way back onto the market instead of being destroyed.

The Fake Products Found

Among the items recovered were counterfeit emergency contraceptives sold under the Postinor-2 brand, including a falsified batch identified by the code T34197R. 

Some products contained incorrect amounts of active ingredient, while others had been altered in ways that could make them unsafe or simply ineffective, leaving buyers unprotected without knowing it.

How to Protect Yourself

The Ministry of Health, through Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, is urging Kenyans to buy medicine only from licensed pharmacies and authorised outlets. "We have advised members of the public to avoid medicines sold through unverified websites, social media pages, informal traders or other unauthorised outlets," she said. Kenyans are also advised to check packaging carefully for tampering or unusual print quality, and to consult a pharmacist or doctor if a medicine looks or behaves differently than expected.

Looking further ahead, the government plans to require imported medicines to carry unique global tracking identifiers from January 1, 2027, which should make it far easier for pharmacists and consumers to verify where a medicine actually came from before it changes hands.