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June 2, 2015

NAIROBI, Kenya—The USAID-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) recently supported the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to develop its five-year strategic plan, launched in Nairobi at the end of May. The strategic plan lays out the agency’s new business approach that will enable it to meet the needs of Kenya’s devolved health system.

Under the new plan, KEMSA will supply medicines, medical supplies, and other commodities to counties using needs-based orders. This differs from the old ‘push’ system where commodities were automatically sent to facilities from the central level, not necessarily based on real needs. To support this change, the agency is making investments in information communication technologies, commodity management tools, and communications to improve its operational efficiencies. The new strategic plan also seeks to lessen KEMSA’s reliance on government funds, adopting a more commercial approach, which includes expanding its products base, reaching out to new clients, and venturing into new geographical territories.

At the launch meeting in Nairobi, the KEMSA Chief Operations Officer, Dr. John Munyu, reported that the new business model was already working well and that all 47 counties were procuring medical commodities from the agency. Dr. Munyu declared that “the business model is self-sustaining, removing the need for government support.”

The chief guest, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mr. James Macharia congratulated KEMSA, emphasizing, “the agency has made significant strides in transforming itself into a strong and credible institution.”  Mr. Macharia underscored the government’s commitment to strengthening health systems and devolution by increasing public spending on commodities. He further reiterated the importance of KEMSA as an institution of national security, pledging the government’s commitment to protecting KEMSA and the country’s supply chain to ensure there is no interruption of health services.

Speaking at the event, the Director of the Office of Health, Population and Nutrition at USAID/Kenya and East Africa, Ms. Barbara Hughes, congratulated KEMSA for aligning its new strategic plan to the devolved system of governance. She said that, “the agency’s improved performance has ensured that the country has a consistent supply of commodities, leading to great improvements in service delivery.” She reiterated USAID’s commitment to strengthening health systems in Kenya through commodities security.