Pharmacy board dismisses claims of medicine import ban, says drug supply uninterrupted
The PPB explained that the ongoing review of medical product registrations is part of a routine regulatory process required by the 2022 Pharmacy and Poisons Rules, which mandate renewal of product approvals every five years.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has dismissed reports claiming it blocked over 21,000 medical products from entering Kenya, calling the allegations false, misleading, and aimed at causing unnecessary public alarm.
In a statement issued Sunday, the regulator responded to accusations by the Kenya Pharmaceutical Distributors Association (KPDA), which had earlier urged the government to lift what it described as a blockade on medicine imports.
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KPDA alleged that recent system changes by the PPB to comply with World Health Organisation (WHO) audit standards had disrupted imports and could lead to a national health crisis.
However, the PPB clarified that there was no import ban, emphasising that drug importation and distribution across the country were continuing as usual.
"Contrary to the falsehoods, there is no blockade of medicines in Kenya. The board has duly retained approximately 9,000 registered products that meet national and international standards for safety, efficacy, and quality," the statement reads.
"These products remain available for local manufacture, importation and distribution."
Routine regulatory process
The PPB explained that the ongoing review of medical product registrations is part of a routine regulatory process required by the 2022 Pharmacy and Poisons Rules, which mandate renewal of product approvals every five years.
"In line with global regulatory best practice and as required under the Pharmacy and Poisons (Registration of Health Products and Technologies) Rules 2022, all marketing authorisations are subject to renewal every five years," said PPB.
"This renewal process enables the Board to confirm that only products meeting current international standards of quality, safety, and efficacy remain on the Kenyan market."
The board added that all market authorisation holders were instructed to complete renewals by December 31, 2025 — a standard regulatory measure, not a restriction or ban.
PPB also alleged that “unscrupulous individuals and cartels” opposed to tighter oversight were behind the spread of misinformation to safeguard their own interests.
"Despite the resistance, the board remains firm in its commitment to uphold the integrity of Kenya's pharmaceutical sector and to protect the health and well-being of every Kenyan," it said.
"The PPB urges the public, healthcare professionals and the media to disregard misleading reports circulating online. The official PPB communication channels remain the primary credible source of regulatory information."
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